Psychic Prodigy
by xAgentx
Summary: Emma's growing power causes her to make a deadly alliance causing Mutant X to realize how dangerous she can be. Will Emma choose between Jesse & Brennan? UPDATE!
1. Prologue

Okay, I got a lot of reviews for the first chapter of my other story _Repercussions_. I thought that idea was too basic so I skipped that part and got here, so if you remember reading that this is the same basic idea, Emma's growing power. Consider that Repercussions is a post event to this story even though it was one chapter. This is a much better idea from the one I had before; it's more evolved. It's full of drama, suspense and unexpected twists and turns. The full Summary will be on the chapter 1 page.

Disclaimer: NOT MINE, wish they were but THEY'RE NOT. However Corey and Analyn do belong to me along with a couple of others, if you use, ask first.

**Bold** indicates emphasis on a word.

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Italics indicate thoughts, or time lapse

***** indicate time lapse or scene change

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Prologue:

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Emma's POV

It's been at least two weeks since Brennan's mutation, which I helped him with. Though how long this emotional pain has plagued me I know not any time. After making my connection with Brennan things became worse for me; everything is downhill now. Adam constantly reassures me that he'll "tweak" my DNA to balance my mutation. There's nothing he can do, it's hard enough that my own body is punishing me for no reason but the fact that I know Adam can do nothing makes it worse. I hate false hopes, especially when given in vain.

I no longer have the power to fight back; my emotional walls are crumbling before me in defeat. I remember before I met Adam my power may have been hard to control but at least back then it didn't give me physical pain as well. My inner self is beginning to show on the outside and I don't care any more if what I say or what I do hurts or troubles the people around me. I know they worry about me, I can feel it. Whether I want to or not I feel them every moment of every day, even in my dreams. They don't know that every time that they feel, every time that they have an emotion, they hurt me, causing me pain I never thought I could have. It feels like I'm dying every day and there isn't anything I can do.

I've given up trying; I don't have the will to fight any more. It doesn't matter what I say or do now since I can't differ any longer whether it is me who is feeling or the person next to me or someone half a mile away. So much is happening in my mutantcy, it is beyond my recognition. First it was just playing with people's feelings, then I got that mental bazooka, now my emotions don't only affect the mental world they affect the physical world too. Adam says it's a different type of telekinesis, since my emotions are what control it rather than my will and mind. I don't control my powers any more; they control me. Do you think I CARE?!? Maybe I do, maybe I don't, but I can't tell any more.

My "friends" are always protecting me when I've always been capable of not only self-defense but I could defend everyone else. They underestimate my power and yet they always count on it being there. Recently everyone's powers have stepped up. Jesse and Brennan's evolutions are so in tune with their instinct that it's causing them to basically fight each other to the death any time they're in close range. Adam said that their mutation forces them to fight for domination by giving them fake adrenaline pumps, forcing their blood pressure to rise and their heart rates to increase. These in turn make them think they have to fight. And once again it's Emma to the rescue in that area because the only way to keep them off each other's throats is to give them a sort of "mental pill" as I call it. This blocks their instinctive force so they can be around one another. It's so demeaning! They all feel that I am weak but suddenly when they have no choice they turn to me! EXPECTING me to think they have faith in my power when at any other time they DON'T! I'm growing weary of this emotional routine where I'm supposed to be the helpless one in the food chain, but they seem to be missing the fact that I am the most able and the least helpless

************

A couple days have gone by and my friends don't think they know me any more. HA! They're naïve enough to still believe that I'm the exact same person who they "rescued" almost two years ago. Well, I don't care what they feel about me, since it doesn't matter. I have found someone with the ability to help and I'm sure with my offer he'll be more than willing. Ever since he has come back he has seemed… different somehow. I can't explain it but I figure with me along side him I'll have his resources at my disposal.

Maybe he can actually do something about my abilities so I can control them. He'll probably be ecstatic to tinker with my DNA, and once I meet with him I'll know by feeling him whether I can trust him to do what I want him to do. Otherwise I'll find another way… I could always just blast his mind if he plans on some sort of sly plot.

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*End of Emma's POV*

*************

Emma arrived at a medium sized coffee shop in the out skirts of the city. It was raining outside so she shook out her umbrella and her coat as she scanned the room. This was the place she had told him to meet her. 

"I know he's here, I can sense him" she thought to herself. 

Over in the corner where there was less lighting sat one figure and another stood about 10 feet away from him staring at Emma. Emma noticed the very professional looking woman but returned her attention to the man as she walked over and sat down in the adjacent chair at the table. 

"Well it's a pleasure you could finally join us, Miss DeLauro." He said in a low monotone voice she was familiar to. "Especially since it was you who arranged this meeting at a specific time." The figure sat up so his face was no longer draped in shadow. 

"There is no such thing as lateness, I arrived exactly when I meant to." Emma answered back in a defying voice.

"Well you must dismiss my astonishment of this situation. After all you are the last of your… team I'd expect to ever come to me since they would probably kill themselves first." He searched her face, expecting some sort of twist involved with this meeting since it wasn't like her to put everything so out in the open. "So, why is it you called me here, of all people?" 

"Well… Eckhart, I was hoping you could provide me with something that Adam can not." Emma was doing this with a completely open mind. 

"And what would this… something be?" Intrigued more with every moment. 

"I'm just going to get right down to the chase. My powers are mutating everyday and… I can't control them anymore. I don't even know the difference between my feelings and the feelings of others. I need a pill, a serum, ANYTHING that will dial down my powers to the point of control. I came to you because you'd be more willing to go abroad and take more chances than Adam would. So, I figured since you were doing DNA manipulation on your own time maybe you could fit me into your schedule." Emma paused to let Eckhart think. 

"And why should I **help** you control these abilities? What do I have to gain?" 

"My… service, my **constant** service. You help me; I'll help you. And," glancing over at the woman who accompanied Eckhart, "no one else will be in the loop." 

"You, Emma DeLauro will work for me. As long as I find this… cure for your mutation."

"As long as you find a cure, I will be at your disposal. No one else need know about it." She told him without showing emotion _"For now."_ She mentally told herself.

"Well, that proposal is very tempting." Emma waited for his answer. "So I will write up a contract for us to sign. We will meet back here tomorrow at 9:15 am. You can look it over to make sure you coincide with it entirely and then, our business relationship will begin." 

"It is agreed."

*********

The next morning Emma made up an excuse for her absence at a certain time so that no one would try to find her. She looked over the document and then gave the signature that would begin her career as a lackey of Eckhart's, just waiting for the right adjustment that would once again make her powers bearable.

TBC…

Okay so that wasn't the first chapter that was just to inform you of how things got started. Review anyway so I know how eager you are to find out where this leads. BELIEVE me it's good!


	2. The Art of Double Crossing

Thank you to all whom reviewed for my prologue. Here is where the story actually begins. 

Disclaimer: NOT MINE, wish they were but THEY'RE NOT. However Corey and Analyn do belong to me along with a couple of others, if you use, ask first.

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Bold indicates emphasis on a word.

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Italics indicate thoughts, or time lapse

***** indicate time lapse or scene change

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Summary: When Emma's powers come to point where they are out of control she turns to the last person you'd expect. Once on opposite sides only then does Mutant X realize the full extent of her powers. With a deadly alliance and a mercenary Emma on the loose Mutant X may come to their downfall. Emma battles not only her team but herself in the process, will she be lost forever in the folds of darkness? Emma/Jesse and a love triangle is uncovered, But who? Be ready for action, suspense and twists and turns along the way. Be Surprised!

Chapter 1

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The Art of Double Crossing

"Hey Emma! Wanna get a little practice in?" Shalimar asked her, giving her a playful jab in the shoulder. Emma just looked at her, took a sip of her coffee and replied plainly.

"Sorry, not today. I'm going to be out until late." Emma rolled up a newspaper she had been reading, finished her coffee and walked out. Leaving the cup on the table and handing the newspaper to Jesse as they passed each other.

"And where are you going?" Jesse asked, spinning around so he was walking backwards in order to look at Emma. Stopping and turning around,

"Nowhere, just out." She said vaguely while nodding her head.

"Oh, so it's a secret…" Jesse said back playfully, Emma forced a fake laugh that must have sounded real because he turned around and kept on going.

"Phew!" Emma sighed in relief as she got into the garage avoiding any other questions from her teammates. _"That was a close one, now off to start my treatment. Hopefully."_ Emma revved the car she got into and sped away towards Eckhart's new laboratories.

************

At the new Genetic Security Agency's headquarters Emma pulled up in a silver Honda, and quickly getting out she walked into the building. Inside she took turns as if she knew the place by heart already. With a final left turn she walked into a small laboratory with a chair in the center. There were five scientists and Eckhart inside.

"Good of you to join us, and on schedule for a change." Eckhart replied as Emma was about to sit down in the chair. "Don't bother. You won't be in here very long anyway." He said referring to sitting in the chair. Emma gave him a puzzled look without a need for words to get her question across. "You're going to be out in the field, remember? All my scientists need is a sample of you blood to work with; the rest is yet to be discovered."

"Well, since I work here now I have a right to be filled in on my assignment." Emma decided to find what she'd have to do to stay in business.

"Ah yes, of course. Today you'll be tracking down a new mutant whose DNA is extremely valuable to our cause. He is a sonic elemental mixed with feral canine so he has been able to give us the slip every time we track him down. With you to back my people up--"

"Back your people up? I'm BACK UP?!?" Emma yelled, frustrated with the sense she'd have the same position here as she did in Mutant X.

"Forgive me, it was the wrong choice of words. You will be **leading** my people, but of course you are more than capable of retrieving this new mutant on your own. I am very aware of that and 'sadly' Adam is not." Emma smirked when she heard Eckhart say this.

_"I'm surprised. Eckhart believes in my powers more than my entire team, and not only that, but he believes in my capability to use that power as well. I think this will go even better than I thought it would."_

One of the scientists pricked Emma's right arm with a needle and drew a bit of blood. As that was that Emma went on her way to gather up some of Eckhart's agents. Despite her wanting to do this mission on her own she wanted even more to be able to boss around a couple of guys who had it in their job description to do what she says. 

************

Two black vans pulled up outside a rundown apartment building with broken windows, boarded up holes and covered with graffiti. Emma got out first followed by several other agents from both vehicles. Closing her eyes, Emma began to reach out and sense for any other presence nearby. While she sensed her agents walked around with one of their hands concealed, ready to draw a weapon if necessary.

"I think I'm getting something…" Emma said faintly as she was still entranced.

"Well? Where is he?!?" One of the younger agents asked Emma impatiently. Emma stopped sensing and shot him a look.

"See here **buddy**. I'm in charge out here in the field, and if you're on this assignment then you should also know I need QUIET in order to pin point his location. And even if I didn't need silence to concentrate you should still shut your mouth especially since this mutant has super hearing." Emma snapped at one of the lackeys with her since he was driving her patience.

"Don't ever talk like that to someone higher ranking!" Another of the agents mumbled in the first one's ear.

"Shhh…" Was all Emma said, while she held her index finger in front of her lips. Taking the lead she motioned for three to follow her and three to stay where they were. Making a connection to this mutant, Emma concentrated as they walked to try and clog his powers or at least make him think he couldn't hear anything. That was all she focused on, but she forgot to account for his feral senses since he was canine feral. He didn't need to hear them, he could sense and smell them. Quickly the young man located approximately where this faction of people was and he made a move in the opposite direction. Emma sensed his change in emotion from unaware to alert so she turned to her agents and yelled "Move!" as she herself began running.

"Be on steady alert, he may come your way." One of the agents contacted one of the ones standing guard outside. The man, Ryan Goldman, sped up his pace and leapt out a closed window in the apartment building. All the guarding agents looked up as Ryan landed on a neighboring one-story building. The glass shards from the window scratched the guards below as they picked up speed from gravity.

"Damn it!" Emma screamed as she got to the window and saw Ryan escaping while her other lackeys were a bit preoccupied with their own pain to be worried about their job. "Goodness! If you want something done right you have to do it yourself!" Emma closed her eyes and concentrated again, tuning into Ryan's mind. Unfortunately for her a little voice over her com-link cut her connection short. It was Adam's voice.

"Emma, we really need your help with getting a new mutant safely into the underground. Could you get back to Sanctuary? I think all of you will be needed for this assignment." Emma just stood there without answering and a look of disbelief on her face. "Emma?" Taking a deep breath she replied.

"Read you loud and clear Adam, I'm on my way." Emma did an about face and with a fast-paced step she left the building. "Get your asses in those vehicles! We're going back." Emma told them with a little annoyance.

"You have a deal with Mr. Eckhart, this assignment comes first in your priorities!" The same GS agent from before spoke out. "You aren't seriously going to do that first? You said so yourself that Mr. Eckhart can provide with things Adam can't."

"Listen here you WORM!! I am in charge here! You do not offer your **advice** unless I ASK for it! Let me try to put it in ways your SMALL MIND can comprehend!" In a much calmer tone of voice but still with a little edge, "Adam and the rest of my team are totally unaware of my little 'deal' or alliance as you might call it. They know I have mutated but they think that even though they **must** protect me in any situation that I have it covered when it comes to my own problems. I do not plan on telling them right now so until that time comes I must be as inconspicuous as possible." Emma stared at this man (who was obviously younger than she was) with a look that could kill. She then turned around got in the drivers seat of one of the vans and sped off to pick up her own car as to suppress any suspicions.

************

Back at Sanctuary Emma had only just pulled up in her car when the whole team was coming out to the Helix.

"Just in time Emma, we were about to leave." Brennan told her. "Lets go!" Emma followed her teammates on board and Brennan prepared them for lift off.

"So, who are we putting into the Underground?" Emma asked to see what job she'd need to do. Jesse glanced back at her and looking forward again he answered her question.

"A young man by the name… Ryan Goldman, I think--" Jesse checked some data on the Helix's computer, "yeah, that's him. He's a new mutant hybrid with both the elemental ability of sound, a sonic type, and a canine feral."

"Yeah?" Emma responded as her stomach dropped and felt like it was twisted in a knot several times. How was she supposed to pull this one off? Did Ryan see her at all when she chased him as the GSA? Many questions filled her mind as she mentally panicked. "So? Why does he need to be put in the Underground?" Emma asked as she gulped, but no one noticed.

"Well, we found out Eckhart's boys were after him. A couple minutes ago he contacted us via cell phone saying that a bunch of guys with the appearance of high profile government people were after him for the second time. So, we decided we should intervene. Who knows what Eckhart is cooking up to do with hybrid DNA?" Jesse and Brennan just kind of nodded along in agreement as Shal spoke. The rest of the ride Emma stayed alone with her thoughts.

Arriving at a building that was closed in the daylight they saw a shadow moving around inside. Jesse phased them through the locked doors and a man masked by shadow came up to them. "You alone?" he asked nervously looking outside.

"Of course. We wouldn't have it any other way." Shal said calmly. "Now we're going to get you outta here, and you're going to be safe. You got it? We'll make sure nothings going to happen to you.

Brennan was lookout as Emma and Jesse got Ryan safely out of there. It was Shal who spotted some black vehicles in this deserted part of town. She and Brennan kept close watch on their movement.

"We're almost there, no need to worry." Emma told him to calm him down.

"Emma, do you think you could…"

"What?"

"You know, hit him with some calm feelings?'

"I don't know if I should, I mean the situation isn't exactly dire."

"Look how freaked out he is, you gotta do something!" Emma opened her mouth, about to say something but the look on Jesse's face made her hit Ryan with a feel of serenity. She couldn't help but smile when she did that, seeing Ryan calm made her feel good.

************

"Is that so?" Eckhart asked intrigued as an agent from Emma's assignment told him what she did. "Well unfortunately we'll just have to wait to see Miss DeLauro's true loyalties and until then we trust she'll stay true to word. Otherwise she won't get a treatment for what's happening to her and there **is** some over fluctuation of her DNA creating this… unbearable pain so to speak.

"Just like that? You're going to trust her? She's a member of Mutant X it's clear where her devotions lie--"

"**NOT** anymore! Things have gone into motion that force upon the breaking of certain morals for some people and lucky for us one of those **people** is Miss DeLauro. Now I suggest you dismiss yourself or I will personally have you eliminated." Eckhart turned his back to the agent and the door as he began some work. The agent, some fear in his eyes, turned around and marched out the door. "Scum." Eckhart said to himself shaking his head after he knew the agent had left.

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**Later**

"Well, Mr. Eckhart. I got what you wanted." Eckhart turned around to see a man squirming in custody of two lackeys.

"Well I must tell you I'm quite surprised. I didn't think you'd do it. Especially after some… comments I heard."

"No need to ever be surprised again, you can expect nothing but success from me."

"At least I've received **some** good news today if any. I was worried you'd gotten mixed up."

"Not at all Mr. Eckhart, after all we have a deal don't we?"

"Yes Miss DeLauro, and thank you for bringing in Mr. Goldman here. He was an awfully hard catch."

"Not for me."

"Of course not. Now my project may continue on and my best scientists will find a cure soon for… your project." Eckhart turned to leave but stopped, "I was meaning to ask, how did you pull this off especially since saving him was what Adam assigned to you and your little **friends**."

"It was easy. In our first attempt to apprehend him he didn't see or notice me amongst the other agents. So when I went in with my team I built a trust with him and I would know exactly where he'd be for our next meeting. After we left I came back with a couple of agents, called Ryan out of the hiding and right into a trap. There you have it, and that's why he has joined us today." She finished looking down at him.

"You little bitch," he said to her, really pissed off. "You double crossed your own team, and Mutant X of all mutants. Why?"

"That's on a need to know basis and for where you're going I don't think you need to know." Emma gave him a cold look and Eckhart gave his men their orders.

"Take him to the lab, so Mr. Goldman can be at my doctors' disposal." The agents began to drag him off when Eckhart added another order. "Oh, and make sure he is put in his very own induced coma.

"I'll get you both for this!! If it's the last thing I'll do!" Those were Ryan's last words as the guards knocked him unconscious.

_"You'll pay for this Adam, this pain I am forced to feel. I swear you will feel my wrath, and at that point you'll live in eternal regret for the chain reaction of events you have caused. I will get you for this pain forced upon me by your own experiments and recklessness."_

TBC…

So, what did you think? This is only the beginning and if you thought this was kind of boring there's much more interesting stuff to come. All you have to do is sit back, wait a couple days and maybe type in an encouraging review so you find out what happens faster.


	3. More Is There Than Can Be Seen

Hope you liked the first chapter, cause the plot thickens! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: NOT MINE, wish they were but THEY'RE NOT. However Corey and Analyn do belong to me along with a couple of others, if you use, ask first.

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Bold indicates emphasis on a word.

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Italics indicate thoughts, or time lapse

***** indicate time lapse or scene change

Chapter 2

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More is There Than Can be Seen

A single needle penetrated her skin in the back of her neck as she shivered, feeling the cool liquid in her nerves running up and down her brain stem. That was Emma's 11th treatment in four days. According to Eckhart, to keep her power suppressed to the point of control she'd need this three times a day every day. Emma didn't question this odd rule because all she cared was that she could single her own feelings out again and isn't influenced by anyone's feelings anymore. This built up her confidence in turn causing her to work even harder for Eckhart. Ever since Emma had joined him not a single mission failed. There was one difficulty Emma found and that was making up excuses to not perform missions for Adam so she wouldn't have to fight Eckhart or against her own goals. So far she was passing with flying colors and Eckhart's experiments were beginning to see their breakthroughs.

"Well, I'm off." Emma said putting on her jacket, and adjusting herself to face the day.

"Now don't forget today's assignment." Eckhart impressed upon her strongly.

"Where did you think I was going?" Emma remarked as she glanced back, still walking away. Emma's footsteps echoed through the halls, growing more and more faint until they faded completely away.

"I'll never understand…" One of Eckhart's higher-ranking agents came up from behind him. She was a thermal mutant with the power to project and transfer heat waves.

"Miss Darnel, what won't you understand?" Eckhart asked without even directing his gaze at her.

"How you could possibly form an alliance with that, that DeLauro girl." Darnel spoke Emma's name in disgust but spoke very professionally. Her dark red hair was pulled back in a tight bun and she wore a very plain suit.

"It's quite simple and I'm astounded you didn't see it." Darnel was intrigued by this remark.

"There's something more to this isn't there? Something you didn't tell her and isn't in the deal."

"Our compromise, does not contradict my actions. In fact it entirely supports it. They document clearly states that she will help promote our experiments as long as we find a way to stop the pain of her mutation." Darnel began skimming the files in the computer about the contents of the serum used on Emma. Flipping through files she found some very interesting subject matter.

"Well, well," She was quite surprised about what she found. Continuing looking through them, "This combination of compounds would… it would increase mutation at an alarming rate!" Darnel looked up at Eckhart with a sinister smile replacing her shocked face. "A perfect plan, you can test the affects of these serums on mutation while Miss DeLauro believes all she's getting is a solution to her problems. When, in reality it's much more than that."

"That is the idea Miss Darnel. Now if you look here," he started as he brought her current condition up onscreen. "You'll see it's well on its way already because this was her starting point." He showed her the scan of Emma before any serum was injected.

"My God! The mutant DNA doubles with every third treatment. At this rate she could be completely unstoppable by the end of the week!"

"Making her the perfect agent to accomplish all our goals."

"It doesn't secure us everything though does it? Just because she is so powerful it doesn't give us any control over her mind so that leaves us wide open if she decides we are useless to her."

"There are some things that unfortunately we have to wait and see which I very much hate doing."

"How do we even know she isn't double crossing us? After all, every night she goes back to Sanctuary and for all we know collaborating with her teammates about how to destroy us. And speaking of Sanctuary she hadn't told you where that is has she?"

"I will admit she hasn't, but for some reason I think that she is sincere in her actions and means what she does. I believe that she is blindly agreeing to do what we want because we have leverage over her. We hold the key to her happiness, the one thing that Adam can not give her. This." He said, holding up a needle full of the same serum Emma was just injected with.

"What about safe-houses? Has she given any locations? Any contacts? Anything?!?" Darnel was growing impatient with the fact that her boss may be losing his edge.

"None of that, why worry about searching all these safe-houses when we have one person who can bring all those mutants to us? We have no need to track anyone down or monitor activity. The only reason we still do is to give our psionic a little break once and a while. I am not angry with you Miss Darnel but I stress that you should think before you say or do anything in order to avoid a catastrophe."

**_Later_**

"I'm telling you, I don't sense this guy. How can I if I've never even heard of him?"

"He is a psionic, you are a psionic. You have the same wavelength, it should be easy."

"What's his name again?"

"Miss DeLauro I've told you already. His name is Corey Monroe. I need him in order for my experiments to be completed."

"Hey! I'm not the only one who can't find him! Apparently no one knows where he is cause his I.D. has been wiped from the world."

"Not entirely, according to the naïve outside world Mr. Monroe is dead but my team found him in a missing persons report."

"So he could be dead."

"Not by a long shot Miss DeLauro, not by a long shot." By Eckhart's voice over her communicator he seemed to be basking in his own glory about something. But that something was still yet to be discovered since she couldn't read minds.

"I'm going to have to terminate our connection now, otherwise someone might over here me." Emma was sitting anxiously on her bed back at Sanctuary.

"I completely understand… Oh and by the way good work on your assignment today." Then Emma broke the connection just as Jesse entered her room. She immediately hid her communicator.

"Hey Jesse! What, what are you doing here?" Emma spoke unusually loud and stuttered a bit. Mentally she slapped herself for not maintaining a calmer appearance.

"I was just checking up on you--" Emma interrupted him.

"Why? Did Adam send you?" Emma's tone was now full of annoyance.

"Oh, so it's not okay for me to decide on my own to make sure you're alright. After all, from what you said this morning I wanted to make sure you were feeling better. You don't exactly have the easiest power to deal with and if you're having trouble then I knew it'd be serious." Emma looked right into his eyes, a bit confused.

"What?!?" She yelled, but it was more out of surprise and confusion than anger.

"You're strong, especially when it comes to your abilities. So I figured that if you were having trouble it really was trouble. Look, I was worried about you, that's why I came down!" Jesse's last sentence was almost in anger the way he said it. Emma's mind wandered from reality as she just looked into him, whatever she felt she felt good. "Emma?" Jesse said much quieter and calmer. He had bent over so they were face to face and stroked a piece of her hair. Emma blinked herself out of her trance to listen to Jesse. "I can see you're alright now, so I'll be going." He got up and turned to leave when Emma called to him.

"Jesse!" He turned around and he didn't need to ask 'what?' because his eyes said it for him. Emma took a longer pause than she meant to before saying, "thanks." They smiled at each other. Neither of them knowing that the other's smile was for more than friendship.

************

"Where is she?!? She's more than an hour late for her appointment." Ms. Darnel, Eckhart's most acquainted agent paced back and forth in one of the labs.

"Relax Miss Darnel. Miss DeLauro contacted me earlier saying that since she was feeling more than fine she'd hold back until the next treatment." Eckhart saw the look on Darnel's face and knew what it meant. "This doesn't mean an end to this… alleged alliance. It simply means that our treatment is working, which means our work will be so much easier. Any reports of proof her powers are accelerating?"

"Last time that I accompanied her in the field there were a few differences I noticed. She had a much stronger connection to those we tracked because she can now pin point each of them exactly every time. I expect that soon Miss DeLauro will be experiencing new genres to her special ability."

**Later** 

"Mr. Eckhart, we can't find Miss DeLauro anywhere. It's been three hours she should've come in by now!" Some of Eckhart's agents had just returned and one reported to him.

"I think we've got something Mr. Eckhart!" Ms. Darnel gestured towards the computer screen she stood before. Apparently the good doctors have a tracking code layered into the serum. Even though it doesn't work around high electronics such as Adam's in Sanctuary or their air craft it tracks her everywhere else."

"Well? Where is she?" Eckhart had grown impatient that this deal may be down the drain.

"She's right here" Darnel pointed to a yellow dot on the map, "but she hasn't moved from that spot for at least an hour, and the vitals we're receiving back don't look good."

"Bring her in! I want every available agent out there just in case she has decided the deal is off." No one moved from his or her spots including Darnel. "What are you waiting for?!? GO!" Everyone quickly got to work and Darnel lead groups out to their vans.

** 7:55 PM ** 

Darnel, growing annoyed, broke entry into a restaurant closed after 4 o'clock. The agents with her were all lookouts outside.

"You better be here Emma!" Darnel said feeling like she was talking to wall. She turned a corner and there lying askew on the ground was Emma, a broken drink glass lay a couple feet from her. Staring wide-eyed for a moment Darnel then yelled for her agents. "Get in here… NOW!!!" All of them came rushing through the door and without being told two of them lifted her by the arms and the other lifted her feet, so as to get her out faster. Darnel swore to herself for almost letting Emma something happen to Eckhart's currently most prized agent.

** The Labs ** (Again) 

The three men rushed Emma into the lab and set her down in the chair. The scientists surrounded her to try and find what went wrong as Eckhart approached Darnel.

"How could you let this happen?!?"

"I'm very sorry sir, I found her like this. There was little I could do!"

"We'll just see about that." Eckhart told her as he turned to examine his doctors' work.

"We've pin-pointed the problem Mr. Eckhart sir." One of the scientists started. "Right here, her DNA is surging because there's nothing to support it therefore it's causing a breakdown."

"He's very right." Another scientist continued, "The serum is what stabilizes her DNA and because it accelerates her growth she can not survive with out it. We're lucky she was brought in when she was. She could've been dead in a matter of minutes. Next time make sure she keeps her appointment otherwise **next time**, we may not be able to save her." Eckhart turned away from the scientists as he told them to finish up their work.

"This will work out better than I thought." He began conversing with agent Darnel. "With this serum now as a necessity, Miss DeLauro has no choice. Right now she may be freely deciding to work with us but in the future we have insurance in that area." He smiled malevolently along with Darnel. "I do love it when I have everything my way."

It was about an hour later when Emma woke up. Eckhart was there to **greet** her.

"Miss DeLauro, try not to screw up again."

"What does that mean?" Emma stretched a bit and got out of the chair.

"It means don't cut it so close next time otherwise you'll be your own demise. Seeing the shocked look on your voice I suppose I should explain. Ahem! You… missed your appointment by three hours, which… in turn caused the **serum** to lose its effect and causing your system to shut itself down. Next time be on time so no… unfortunate accidents happen." Eckhart moved aside to let Emma pass. Looking back at Eckhart strangely she continued on her way.

"Well, I thought she'd never leave." Ms. Darnel came through the doorway Emma just left through. "Would you mind informing me about this?" She showed Eckhart a folder of documents around eighteen years old. "I found them on the top of the paper work… they seem a little old to be current work, don't you think?

"If you weren't such a promising agent I would keep this from you but in this situation I suppose it's essential knowledge." Eckhart flipped through the folder and pulled up a profile, which was much newer than all the other papers. It looked about five years old. "This… young man is a mandatory supplement to my experimentation. To create new mutants I need a base subject and who better than him?" Eckhart sat down in an office chair in the lab still looking at the photo, almost longing.

"I thought Emma… I mean Miss DeLauro was-- not him!" Darnel kept trailing off without needing to fill in her sentences. "Who is he anyway? This Monroe person?"

"Corey Monroe and he is incredibly important, I can't believe I ever let him slip out of sight, though it was unexpected." 

"I still don't understand. Why this one person? There have got to be handfuls of people--"

"He isn't people! He's one of them, a mutant and a powerful one at that."

"Still, there are plenty of mutants! Just pick one."

"You don't understand! Only Monroe will work because I created him! I made him a mutant!"

TBC…

What did you think? Good twist, bad twist? Can you wait or can't you wait for the action? If you had enough time to read this I think you have enough time to send in a review that at the least says "Good job". I only got one review for the last chapter and if I get more reviews (good or bad) the chapters will come quicker otherwise you'll have a lot longer than a couple days to wait.


	4. A Mask Unveiled

Okay! This is where things really pick up speed. This is my longest chapter yet so if you haven't reviewed for any past chapters at least review for this one. Have FUN!! I'm sorry I didn't get this up sooner (I would have because of all the great reviews) but I kind of got distracted by… Harry Potter. Oh well. I promise If I get a lot of reviews for this chapters that the next one will come up much sooner.

Disclaimer: NOT MINE, wish they were but THEY'RE NOT. However Corey and Analyn do belong to me along with a couple of others, if you use, ask first.

****

Bold indicates emphasis on a word.

__

Italics indicate thoughts, or time lapse

***** indicate time lapse or scene change

Chapter 3

****

A Mask Unveiled

"You made a mutant?!? I thought you weren't in that department!"

"I was not, but he was my sol creation. There were all kinds of projects separate from the group work and I decided to make one of my own while I was at it. I had all the resources I needed, so when the Monroes came and left** me** their son to treat him for damaged nerves I improved on him more than they knew. I tampered with his nerve center enabling him to be conscious to a lot more of his brain activity. This in turn made him a telepath and a precog. To give you an idea of his power, us humans merely use 10% of our brain capacity; the average psionic uses around 52% while this mutant… he uses over 85%. But… I've never produced a successful one since. That is why I need him, so I can study what I did to make him the mutant he is."

"I don't think there's much luck, no one knows where he's been the last five years!"

"Taking that into consideration I think I can find just the person who does. Or rather just the mutant."

************

"I have just the assignment for you Miss DeLauro. One I know you can handle with your… talents."

"I don't know… I don't think they're buying my excuses any more! They're getting suspicious." Emma was talking over a cell phone with Eckhart. "Okay, okay. I'll get right on it." Eckhart hung up the phone and turned to the approaching Darnel.

"Why is she informed of this **contact** before me? I'm higher ranking--"

"But she is more valuable; therefore, she knows first."

"Fine, but who is this mutant you think knows where Mr. Monroe is?"

"Oh, I don't think she knows. I know she knows." Eckhart smiled smugly at Ms. Darnel before proceeding to answer her question. "Her name is Analyn, Analyn Carter. She has had past… acquaintances with Corey Monroe and there is evidence she was the last known person to be in contact with Mr. Monroe. Though she will be tough to get at I know Emma DeLauro can get her." Darnel, still looking puzzled stared at Eckhart's superior look as if he'd already succeeded.

**********

"NOOOO!! Get OFF!!!!" Screams filled the air as far as the sound could carry as Emma was wrestling with a girl around the age of 19 or 20. She was screaming her head off making it difficult for Emma to concentrate to get into her mind. "You have no right you thieving bitch!!"

"You are going to pay for that!" Focusing her abilities Emma used her frustration to throw a desk at this girl, Analyn, but much to Emma's surprise the desk stopped mid-air. Now Analyn was staring down the desk and was much better at it than Emma; obviously she was a telekinetic so she had much more focused abilities and precise aim. Emma knew that if she tried to enter Analyn's mind instead the desk would knock her out the window. Deciding quickly Emma switched her focus to Analyn's mind and the desk started flying straight for her but right before it collided with her it stopped dead and dropped. Emma had tampered with her mind fast enough that she could no longer concentrate; therefore, avoiding being hit with a desk. Emma knocked her unconscious and threw Analyn over her shoulder, carried her to the van and sped off.

************

"Where is he HIDING!?!" Emma, along with Darnel, stood in a cramped dark room questioning Analyn. She sat tied to the back of a chair, this way she couldn't use her telekinesis. Eckhart knew she wasn't developed enough to focus her power without her hands. Darnel constantly threatened by holding a fireball up to Analyn's face who still refused that she knew any Corey Monroe. "I swear it'll feel like you are dying a thousand deaths if you don't tell us where he is!!" Darnel was now breathing heavily and sweating, as Emma stood back a little bit with some of her face cloaked in shadows.

"Please Miss Darnel, relax. There has got to be a better way than this to get answers out of her." Eckhart's voice came over an intercom. He was standing in a room that had a window into where they were but from the other side you can't tell because it looks like a mirror. "Miss DeLauro, Why don't you take a whack at it?" Emma stepped forward.

"You should have heeded her warning and told us willingly." Emma said darkly before powering up a psionic blast in front of her. She fired it off, hitting Analyn in the head and causing her head to roll on her shoulders. She wasn't unconscious, yet. "Now, tell us the last known location of Corey Monroe." Analyn's eyes rolled to the back of her head and back to the front, as she seemed dazed. Her jaw opened slightly; she was about to say something.

"Umnhhh…" She made sort of yawning sound and sat up as straight as she could in the restraints and looking right into her captor's eyes. "Not in your life," she paused, "bitch."

"That's IT!!" Emma screamed, but Darnel got there first. She powered up a fireball, about to torch their victim, when an alarm started filling the entire building. Everyone stopped and looked around them, wondering why it was going off.

"You two, follow me immediately." They started towards Eckhart and the door but stopped to look back at Analyn. "Leave her." They didn't need another order telling them so, as they rushed into the surveillance room to look over all the security cameras.

"So? Who's come to bother us this time?" Darnel asked, annoyed, as they walked up to a camera.

"Oh, shit." Emma saw on the screen two figures advancing through the complex.

"Well," started Eckhart. "It looks like Miss Fox and Mister Kilmartin have decided to… join us." Emma stared at the screen and began backing away.

"Uhhh… I, I gotta go. I have to leave." Emma said in a very urgent far off kind of voice.

"Where do you think you're going Miss DeLauro. You said so yourself you're at my disposal, so--"

"So?"

"Dispose of them."

"Hey, you know? I did sign up for this but it's **not** the right time! There are very important things that need to be accomplished with the leverage I have here. Anyway…" Emma trailed off, staring at Jesse on the monitor.

"Anyway what?!?" Darnel butted into their 'conversation'.

"What they don't know won't hurt them." Emma hurried off down the hall and Darnel started after her only to be stopped by an arm. Eckhart's to be precise.

"You… won't be following her **or** trying to stop her. Understand?"

"But you, she--"

"**She** is right. If she reveals herself now, then we'll lose valuable playing field. For the time being, as long as Adam does not know that's one for us and nothing for him." Both turned to watch the monitor. They were interested in seeing Emma's escape from the complex without her 'teammates' knowing she was ever there.

__

**Elsewhere**

Shalimar and Jesse made their way through the halls, any guards they met didn't stop them for very long. They made an impeccable team with speed and strength. Plus there was no wall they couldn't get through with Jesse there.

"Okay, why exactly are we here again?" Shalimar asked Jesse, this was very short notice and Adam had only told them to get this mutant Analyn away from Eckhart as quickly as possible.

"Apparently Analyn knows or is said to know very important information and we can't let Eckhart get it."

"Well we could be screwed! She's been here over an hour, and who knows what she's said about anything!

"Shal relax. We're in, we're out, piece of cake! So go on, sense away." Shalimar's eyes went feral as she slowly walked down the halls. She sniffed the air.

"This way!" Shal said pointing left, at a four-way intersection. They turned and began to run. "Okay, right!" They hurried onward. "Right again! Now straight ahead!" They came to a door that (duh!) was locked. "Will you do the honors?"

"Certainly." Jesse said as he pressed his hand against the door and it became slightly distorted as he phased it. "Ladies first." Shal walked in, followed by Jesse. In the room was a girl around the age of 19 chained to a chair. There was only a single light that hung on a long cord from the ceiling. The girl was out of it, dripping in cold sweat.

"Hey," Shalimar nudged the girl and whispered to her. The girl, Analyn, woke from her trance with a start. "We're going to get you out of here. Don't worry." Shalimar stood back as Jesse lay his hands on the chains, phasing them off the girl. "We need to get out of here, and fast!" Shal rushed her whispers.

"Wait," It took Analyn all she could muster to say that, when out of nowhere she just collapsed from exhaustion. Jesse and Shalimar shot looks at each other as if conversing without words. Apparently Jesse lost this wordless argument because he leaned over and picked her up so she was lying over his right shoulder.

"Ready when you are." Jesse said since he couldn't phase the door without dropping Analyn. Shal flashed her feral eyes at Jesse before she leapt off the right wall and kicked down the door mid-air. They took no time to waste as they hurried down the halls led by instinct.

Meanwhile, somewhere near the opposite side of the complex Emma was making her way, a bit panic stricken, through the maze of halls. Turning left, right, left, left, right, she had no idea where she was or where she was going. Panting heavily she tried to calm herself down and went on, practically running. She was rounding a corner; about to go right when she stopped. Holding her breath and concentrating, one more step and she would have run right into Shalimar and Jesse.

"Hold IT!" Shalimar yelled to Jesse, her eyes flashing feral as she looked to her left staring up and down the hall. Taking slow steps in that general direction she sniffed the air.

"What?!?" Jesse yelled and looked around curiously where she was.

"I could have **sworn** there was someone there." Shal's eyes were still glowing feral as she continued investigating. Holding her arms out in front of her, feeling for **something**.

__

******

"Ingenious." Eckhart said as he and Darnel watched the screen that projected the image of the intersection that Emma, Shalimar, and Jesse were in.

"I know, she's standing right in front of them, and they don't even know she's there. She did cut it a little close though."

"It doesn't matter how **close** she cut it. What matters is she's safe… for now."

******

Emma stood very still as Shalimar reached out and actually touched her. Gritting her teeth, Emma concentrated even harder in order to trick Shal into believing she wasn't touching anything.

"That's just so weird. I **know** that there was someone… or at least **something** there. I sensed it."

"Yeah well, do you sense anything there now? Come on Shal we need to--"

"Maybe, **maybe **it was a new mutant with invisibility!" Shalimar said, cutting Jesse off. She kept on feeling around and was actually touching Emma, but all her senses were blocked in processing the physical evidence that would tell her someone was right in front of her. "I know there was someone here." Shalimar mumbled to herself.

"SHAL!" She jumped since Jesse yelled without warning. "We need to go! Before the reinforcements locate us." He grabbed her by the arm and started pulling her forward. Still concentrating hard, Emma walked faster so she cut in front of them.

_"If they came from that way then this must be the way out."_ Emma thought to herself, making sure to stay well ahead of her 'friends'. She put all her focus on Shalimar and Jesse as she made her way, walking backwards, to the exit. _"I have to make sure they don't know the door is opening. Otherwise they'll be too suspicious and Shal already suspects something."_ Emma felt for the handle to the door and pushed. Luckily it made no sound when opening and she was safely outside. Dropping all her focus she ran for her car, jumped in through the sun roof, plugged the key in the ignition and backed the car right out of the lot (very fast I might add). Right after she was on the road speeding off Shalimar and Jesse came out of the complex, Jesse carrying Analyn, and they uncloaked the Helix for take-off.

************

Back at Sanctuary Emma pulled into the garage, not as fast as she had left. Looking around she saw the Helix was **not** back yet so she had made good time. She entered and walked into the lab where Brennan and Adam were.

"Hey! Look who decided to show up." Brennan said in response to her entrance. "We haven't seen you around for a while. So… what have you been up to?"

"Oh, nothing."

"Well, that's an awfully long time to be gone for **nothing**." Brennan teased. Emma shot him a look, but Adam interrupted this little exchange.

"Okay, we need to get ready. Jesse and Shalimar are going to be back any minute with Analyn." Emma needed to pretend she didn't know what was going on so she gave him a puzzled look. "Analyn is a new mutant psionic, and earlier she was apprehended by some of Eckhart's people. She has very important information that we must ensure does not get out in the open. If it does, it could be like all hell breaking loose. It would not be good."

"You still haven't explained to me, Adam, what we're going to do here." Brennan cut in. Adam looked up at him from his work, almost like he was holding something back.

"First we need to test her DNA. Make sure that it's all in order. I also think she is a much more powerful mutant than she leads on. Analyn, I believe, is a very hard mutant to break. Our work is probably cut out for us and Analyn didn't reveal anything to Eckhart or his people." For once Adam actually seemed confidant in what he was saying about a mutant on their mission. This was one of the few times Adam was probably telling everything instead of holding back.

"So we're going to what? Make her comfortable? I still don't get it." Emma's gaze turned to Brennan when he said that, and he almost looked… upset?

"I think **someone** is mad he didn't get to go on the mission this time." Emma said teasingly and she looked away from him when she said that. Brennan looked up with a fake hurt face.

"You know that isn't funny." Brennan said through a sarcastic chuckle.

"On the contrary I thought it was **very** funny!" Emma said looking straight at him. While this went on Adam just laughed to himself and continued his work.

"You won't think it's so funny when **I'M** through with you." Brennan began to run after her, but in mid-step there was the sound of the hanger door closing, and footsteps could be heard. With an addition of talking.

"Okay!" Jesse said coming into the lab. He lay Analyn on the lab chair and backed up. He turned to Shalimar, "You know? She is A LOT heavier than she looks."

"Well then it was a good thing you carried her. You being a big **strong** man and me being a petite little lady." Shal seemed very smug with her answer as Jesse just glared at her as if saying 'you are anything but a little lady'. She then went over to see what Adam and Brennan were working on.

"So you're back." Jesse said walking over to Emma. "Where have you been all this time? It's like I… we never get to see you anymore." Emma took a long pause, just looking into Jesse's clear blue eyes. She felt like there was a hole in her stomach. Then pulling herself together she answered him.

"Oh… you know. I've been… around." The voice she spoke in was kind of raspy as if she was losing it. Jesse just looked down at the floor after she answered. "That, ahem!" She cleared her throat. "That wasn't the answer you were looking for… was it?"

"If you don't want to tell me that's fine. We need to attend to Analyn anyway; she seemed really out of it. When we rescued her she fainted before we got her loose, so **I** had to carry her all the way back here."

"Stop complaining!" Shal said in a play mocking sort of voice. "At least you didn't have to carry her when we flew back in the Double Helix." Once again Jesse glared at her.

"Alright, let me run a full diagnostics to see what the problem is." Adam said, punching in some keys. "Activate scan." The usual beam came down from the ceiling and went up and down Analyn twice before showing the results.

"So what seems to be the problem?" Shal asked, looking from the girl to the screen.

"It seems there's mass brain activity. Look at the fluctuation of her brainwaves, it indicates possible signs of mass trauma."

"Well, can we fix it?" Brennan questioned, crossing his arms.

"Usually I would… but there doesn't seem to be any signs of injury. So… trauma couldn't have been the cause since physically she's perfectly fit." Emma just listened to all this. She would do something to try and act less suspicious but she didn't want to lead them onto her trail when they couldn't even find it.

_"Still, I've got to say something. I could convince them a different possibility than what actually happen. Bend the truth so it's still believable but keeps me safe."_ Emma thought hard as to what she could say. "Adam, is it possible that the trauma could have been caused, or induced rather, by a psionic mutant?"

"Hmmm… Actually that is a definite possibility. It would explain the lack of injury in order to produce trauma."

"What, so Eckhart has a new psionic on his pay roll?" Jesse asked, slightly annoyed by this considerable fact. "Judging by the look on your face, Adam, this isn't good, is it?"

"No, it's not. With a psionic that could do this much damage to a strong-minded person such as Analyn. Who knows what else they're capable of? I'm just letting you all know right away, and Emma, with a psionic this strong they may even be a challenge to you." Emma did her best to look as if she were trying to hide fear even though there wasn't any really there. Brennan had just made his way to a console, checking something, when.

"Hey guys? I think we have a problem." Everyone looked up at him when he said this.

"What is it?" Emma asked Brennan the question that was in all of their minds.

"Looks like Eckhart's men are on the move. They've already broken into one of our running safe houses to gain themselves leverage in this situation."

"So he's trying to blackmail us into handing him Analyn back? Ha! If he thinks we'll need to resort to that he has another thing coming." Shalimar said what some of them were thinking.

"Shal! He's already got hostages. We can't just abandon them!"

"Brennan is right, we have to think this through. Right now we need to try and take everything back before they can get away with it." Emma realized she needed to come up with an excuse **not** to go and fight Eckhart's men. Everyone had started towards the hanger and Emma was about to say something when.

"Ahgg! My head." Jesse cried as he almost collapsed but the wall broke his fall. Brennan had lifted his right hand, putting his middle finger and thumb on his temples. They couldn't resist their mutations any longer, the one that compelled them to fight each other. Then Brennan powered up his electricity and shot a stream of it at Jesse. Luckily he phased before it could hit him.

_"Not again!"_ Emma moaned in her head. It's like it's my job to look after those two now!

"Adam! I still don't get why they do this!" Shal yelled as she and Adam struggled to stop the quarrel. "Can't they fight it?"

"Not quite yet, this concept is too new to them. They don't have as much experience dealing with **fighting** their instincts as you do. Apparently since both of them mutated it caused some sort of subconscious battle for the alpha male position. I think that the mutant gene, well the male mutant gene, has a similar make-up as an animal's so it's possible every male mutant may eventually if not already have to go through this." Jesse and Brennan's fight had become more intense already. They weren't even speaking, just locking warrants. Brennan already had thrown several electric streams at Jesse, and all of them missed. Now it was Jesse's chance, he had disappeared into a wall and Brennan searched for where he went. Then he came up behind Brennan massed and smashed his fist into Brennan's shoulder.

"DAMN!" Brennan yelled in pain, as he took the chance and finally shocked Jess but not with as much force as he would have liked to. Jesse did the same thing again and came up behind Brennan, about to mass and hit him.

"Emma!" Adam and Shalimar spoke in unison, and they didn't even need to ask her since she knew why they said her name.

_"Here I go, once again **Emma** to the rescue. Whop dee doo."_ Jesse had unphased; about to smash Brennan in again when Emma's forehead began to glow pale lavender. Then as if time had stopped for a split second Brennan and Jesse's foreheads began to glow the same color as her own. They both stopped mid-motion, then relaxed, ceasing their fight as the glow died down. Both boys were panting from exhaustion.

"Thanks, pant, pant, Emma." Emma didn't even need Jesse to say that 'cause she could see it in his eyes. He leaned against the wall and closed his eyes as he took slower, deeper breaths.

"Yeah, cough, Emma. I don't know what we'd do…" He faded out and coughed some more as he tried to quickly recover from that smash in the shoulder blade Jesse had delivered. Pulling himself together, "I wish that… thing," he gestured to his forehead, as he was talking about whatever Emma did, " would last longer, I mean it's not like I actually **want** to fight you Jesse." 

"Hey, I know how you feel. After all it's happening to me too isn't it?"

"Enough of this, are both of okay?" Adam asked, rushing the situation.

"Fine."

"Fine." Echoed Brennan, both spoke in monotone.

"Then we need to get moving and stop Eckhart's people."

"Uh… Adam?" He stopped, walking towards the door, the others did too but he gestured them to go on. She didn't need to wait for him to ask what because it was what his face was saying. "I think I should hang back."

"Emma out of all of you you'll be needed the most. Especially if this psionic is there."

"Well I'll be ready if you absolutely need my help, but I think **someone** should stay back with Analyn. I mean what if she wakes up and there's no one here. She'd probably go into panic."

"Very well, but you will be ready to come if I call?" Emma smiled confidently when Adam asked this.

"Do you even have to ask?" She watched Adam follow the path of the others towards the Helix. Then once she heard it take-off and the hanger door close she turned back to Analyn with beady eyes.

************

"This is getting boring!" Darnel said with a sigh of annoyance. She looked around, "where the **hell** are they. Don't they even care that we found one of their safe houses and took hostages?!?" Darnel paced back and forth inside the pharmacy that masked the hidden chamber beneath it.

"Please Miss Darnel, this is Adam we're talking about. He won't pass up a chance to save his freakish creations." Eckhart looked the group of three hostages up and down. "Nice work containing them."

"Do you really think he'll take part in an exchange?"

"Not at first; Adam will do everything in his power to avoid it, and that is where you and your… allies come in. You are going to beat it into them that they will have no choice other than a trade to save these three. I expect he hasn't told them the information Miss Analyn knows, so his entire team will back this up as well. They will all rather save three and lose one than save one and lose three." Darnel looked curiously at Eckhart as he smiled smugly.

Not much time had passed when the sounds of a brewing fight came in from the outside through the door. Eckhart looked out the front of the building and caught a glimpse of Shalimar beating the crap out of two currently unarmed agents.

"Show time." Eckhart said as Darnel exited, followed by two other new mutant agents.

"This is too easy." Jesse said as he massed and punched two guys in the heads.

"Well then, allow me to step it up a notch." The woman known as Karyn Darnel stepped forward and behind her stood two others. She was more rugged looking because she had her long red hair down and it seemed to cause her eyes to have a real fire to them. She no longer wore a professional suit but more comfortable clothes so it'd be easier to fight.

"You don't look so tough." Shalimar said confidently as she walked forward to pick a fight with her. Then Shal leapt forward and would have kick Karyn in the stomach in mid-air, but right before she could the agent formed a ring of fire around herself. Shal forced herself down as quickly as she could. She didn't run from it as she had convinced herself she wasn't afraid of it, but she couldn't go forward to fight either.

"I think you're the one who isn't so tough, Shalimar Fox. I have heard that you willed yourself to be around fire and 'conquer' your fear. All you have done is suppress it, which in this case isn't good for you at all." Karyn then gathered up the fire surrounding her into the palm of her hand, "heads up." She then shot a stream of fire aimed at Shalimar's head. Luckily she did a back bend just in time to avoid it.

"That's it, you're going down." Brennan stepped forward to protect Shalimar. He then powered up electricity on both of his hands. Karyn walked forward and began hand-to-hand combat with him. As they fought each other she was able to turn Brennan around with a kick in the back so he was facing away from her. Taking advantage of this she walked up to him, about to touch him, but he grabbed her hand before she reached him. They stared daggers at each other and then Karyn took her left hand and placed it over the right side of his face. Immediately Brennan let go his grip and tore away from her. "Argh!" His hands covered that side of his face as he yelled in pain.

"Shal don't worry, I'll take care of her." Jesse went forward as Shalimar went to see what was wrong with Brennan.

"Brennan, what did she do?" Finally getting him to pull his hand from his face she gasped. There was a burn mark in the shape of a hand and it even went over his eye. The one it covered, the right one, was bloodshot. "Oh my God." Brennan covered it back up as Shal told him to go to Adam who was trying to break into his own safe-house which Eckhart's agents had put into lock down. "You know he'll have some way to treat it."

"Hey, I'll be back 'cause she doesn't look like a walk in the park." Brennan didn't like to leave in the middle of a fight but he had to. The pain was too much.

Meanwhile, Jesse was throwing some punches Karyn's way but so far did not successfully hit her; although, she hadn't hit him with her fire yet either. Jesse was overall feeling confident in this fight; then he massed to avoid being hurt by one of her kicks. Taking advantage of Jesse in his massed state Karyn grabbed his neck, while he was still massed. Suddenly, smoke began rising from where her hands were and Jesse fell backwards as he took deep breaths, clutching his neck in the process. When he moved his hands Shal saw a huge burn mark on the front of his neck.

"Oh… my… God!!!" yelled Shalimar through gritted teeth. "I'll get you, you flaming little bitch!!!" Shalimar was at least fifteen feet away from her and she tackled her in a single leap. Karyn didn't go down, but Shal stood on her shoulders and got in several punches that in turn made her collapse. At this the other two new mutant agents joined the fight. Jesse forced himself to recover so he could go help Shalimar.

"You're mine, molecular!" The other woman blocked Jesse's path to pick a fight with him. She leapt in the air to deliver a kick but he phased through it. Quickly, he massed himself so he could knock her out but when their punches met she was the one to block his, despite the fact he was massed. The woman then picked him up (he was still massed) and threw him against a brick wall which crumbled around him upon collision.

"You need to get back out there!" Adam told Brennan as he was punching in codes to try and override his own security. Brennan turned to leave, he wasn't going to argue with Adam (not now anyway). "Before you go lock warrants I need you to give this a little jumpstart." Brennan's solemn face conveying a bit of pain showed a bit of his normal smirk as he powered up an electrical stream.

"Here we go." Said Brennan as he let loose his power into the tiny box. It immediately sprung to life, allowing Adam entrance. "Now I'm outta here." Since he was distracted from it the pain didn't seem as bad anymore. He hurried to go rejoin the fight. When he got there Shal was out numbered, as she was fighting the thermal and the only man who had to be some kind of feral. He was literally climbing the walls. While Jesse was not doing to well against the woman who apparently had muscle-enhancement. Fed up with the thermal mutant, Brennan powered up and let loose a high voltage bolt from his hands. It probably would have hurt her more if she wasn't surrounded by a heat wave that lowered the electricity to a point that it couldn't do damage. It still did some good, as she broke away from her fight with Shal and took on Brennan.

"That was a biiiig mistake pal." Her eyes raged with fire as she let out a stream of heat. Brennan matched her strength as he shot a stream of lightning to block the heat. Both streams fought each other back and forth until it was at the point where both of them were hit with a little voltage and heat. The force knocked each of them on their backs.

Shalimar was not having much luck with this feral, who apparently was an Insectum. He could walk up walls and had much more strength than she did. He could match her punches and kicks as well as get past them. She was actually looking beaten with bruises on her face, stomach, arms, and probably a few other places not currently visible. Shal's lack of fight was also due to the fact she constantly looked over at Jesse and Brennan's fights. Neither of them was doing to good; Brennan had the burns to prove it and Jesse probably had several bruised, if not broken, ribs.

From afar Adam watched his team suffering extreme damage from their fights. He knew that if they were to win this fight it'd have to be mind over matter. He would have to call in the cavalry, Emma.

************

Emma stared at Analyn for a very long time. She kept thinking to herself to figure out what her next move would be.

_"What am I going to do with you? You're not supposed to be here. I could've gotten something out of you if I had, had more time."_ Just as she was finally getting deep in thought Adam's voice rang over the comlink system.

"Emma we need you here right away! The only way for them to walk away from this fight is mind over matter. Get here as soon as possible!" There was a pause and Emma knew Adam was waiting for an answer.

"Be right there." She replied, and began getting her coat on. All ready to go Emma paused. _"What am I doing, I don't want to get myself into that fight. Even if I hadn't made that deal with Eckhart I still wouldn't want to go fight! At least not this time."_ As Emma pondered her thoughts another voice came over a communicator but it wasn't the comlink system and it definitely wasn't one of her teammates.

"Miss DeLauro." Eckhart's voice sounded no different over machine. "Is Analyn with you?" Not needing to have a conversation about this Emma said something that applied to all of the above Eckhart would ask her.

"**We** are on our way." Emma said before shutting of her communicator. Then she grabbed Analyn tightly around the right arm and began dragging her towards the garage. At this point she was beginning to awaken so she was half walking, half being dragged. Analyn's eyes fluttered open and when she saw who was pulling her she screamed at the top of her lungs.

"OH MY GOD!!!" She struggled to get out of Emma's grip and get as far from her captor as possible. Emma knew this would happen and was prepared for action. "What, what are **you** doing here!?! I was rescued by Mutant X, you work for that bastard, Eckhart!!" Turning her head to the left, Emma powered up a psionic blast and hit her in the forehead with it.

"I'm not the one who captured you, it was someone else. Mutant X did rescue you but this place is still not safe." Emma began giving Analyn posthypnotic suggestions. This was part of her ability whenever she hit someone with one of her mental blasts. "I am going to take you to a much safer place. Right now we are in an abandoned safe-house." This worked very well, as Analyn immediately began cooperating. Emma then lead her to one of Mutant X's many vehicles. "Get in."

"Where are we going?" Analyn asked, naïve as a little child.

Emma hesitated; about to yell when she decided a calmer approach would be better. "Someplace safe." She said before getting in herself. Starting up the engine she pulled out of the garage and into the mountains with Analyn in the passenger seat.

"If, if we just came out of an abandoned safe-house. How come we're in the mountains surrounded by forests?" Emma turned her head to the left and hit Analyn with another psionic blast.

"We're not in the woods on a mountain; we are in the suburbs surrounded by many houses. Now we are beginning to enter the outskirts of the city. The buildings are getting bigger." Emma once again ended her posthypnotic suggestion, and was quite proud of herself for her capabilities.

************

"Where the **hell** is she!?!" Shouted Brennan, while he delivered a higher voltage shock to Karyn, the thermal, as payback for the burns she gave him.

"Shouldn't she be here already?!?" Jesse yelled to Adam who had come to help them out a bit in their fight.

"I contacted her almost twenty minutes ago she should be here soon." Adam reassured the two men.

"And she will!" Shal chimed in, having faith that their friend would soon be there to give them a hand.

No sooner had this conversation gone on that a silver car pulled up right to the fight and Emma got out of the driver's side. Her friends' faces showed traces of relief as they still continued to fight. If they were able to get a closer glimpse they'd notice the dark look upon Emma's face. Everything that occurred next happened in what seemed slow motion to everyone.

Emma pulled Analyn out of the car on the other side, and very roughly too. Adam looked up, wondering why.

"Emma! Why did you bring her?!? It's not safe for her here. She should be back at Sanctuary!"

"On the contrary Adam, depending on whose point of view she'll be perfectly safe here." Emma walked Analyn through the fight to the front of the pharmacy. There was an agent standing guard there and with her left hand still holding onto Analyn she took a gun out of the holster of the agent with her other hand. She pointed the gun at Adam. "I'm fed up with this Adam! All of you better stop… NOW!" She cocked the gun to prove she meant business.

"Emma!" Jesse, Shalimar and Brennan all yelled her name in unison as they tried to take it in that this was actually happening.

"Emma, what do you think you're doing?" Jesse said in a calmer voice since he figured that yelling would get them nowhere.

"I'll tell you what she's doing Mister Kilmartin." Eckhart cut in as he waltzed right out of the pharmacy, accompanied by four of his agents. "Miss DeLauro is simply doing her job, and she's doing a damn good job if I do say so myself." The remainder of Mutant X exchanged bewildered looks.

"You can't do this Emma." Emma probably would have lashed out with a snide remark to counter Brennan's, but she was in too good of a mood with herself.

"You know what? You're right Brennan." Emma dropped the gun about two feet in front of her. "Using a gun would be doing things the hard way in my case. Why use a gun to do what needs to be done when I have all I need inside my here?" She pointed to her forehead as she finished her sentence. Turning her attention Emma held out Analyn by her shoulders. "I believe you were looking for her." Emma said handing her over, but before she did she hit Analyn with another psionic blast. "They will take you to a safe place." Analyn just nodded as three agents stuffed her into one of the vans.

"I am very pleased with your efforts Miss DeLauro. All of you!! Back in the vans!! We're through here." Eckhart complemented Emma as he gave his other mutants orders. Everyone began piling in and Emma went in last.

"You can't do this Emma!! You can't!" Brennan yelled practically in anger after her.

"How Emma?!? WHY!?!" Shouted Shalimar. Adam was too speechless to say anything and Jesse. Well, Jesse was more stunned so what he was saying you couldn't hear unless you were right next to him. He was basically was whispering to himself, but Emma could hear him.

"How could you do this Emma, and why on earth would you even want to? You betrayed us." Jesse's whispers echoed inside her head. She hadn't closed the door yet to the van she was in which also contained Eckhart, Analyn and a couple agents. Turning her emotions to anger she reemerged from the vehicle.

"You shouldn't even need to ASK THAT!!!" Emma yelled walking in their direction. "The lot of you are in denial if you can't even figure out why!! And Adam… you had it coming." As Emma turned and started walking back, she could sense everyone's confusion turn to anger just because of what she said. Brennan and Shalimar started to follow her, actually thinking they would attack her. "This'll teach you!!" Emma turned back around and first hit Adam with a psionic blast. They stopped in their tracks. She then hit Brennan followed by Shalimar. Knocking them down like dominoes. Turning to Jesse she hesitated, unlike with the others. Emma had powered up a psionic blast but hadn't fired it off.

"Emma…" Jesse started pleading softly. "Please." Emma looked right into Jesse's eyes and even from a distance she felt she could see right into him effortlessly. Emma began shaking her head back and forth.

"I'm sorry Jess." Emma mouthed and fired off the last blast hitting Jesse, and making him crumple to the ground where the others lay beaten, bruised and well… burned. She stood there a moment just staring at Jesse's still body amongst the others.

"Please Miss DeLauro! We need to get a move on." Taking one last look, Emma hurried back to the van, got in and closed the door as the van took off. Although she boiled with anger she still looked back almost longingly at her former teammate's motionless body lying on the pavement until it was out of sight.

_"I'm sorry Jesse, but I had to. You wouldn't understand."_ After that thought Emma cleared her mind as it soon began to fill with vengeful thoughts. _"And so it starts."_

TBC…

So? What did you guys think? Am I doing a good job at keeping you guys at the edge of your seats? Like I said at the top this is my longest chapter yet. It comes to over 7,000 words, so please, if you haven't reviewed yet at least send one in for this chapter. If you had time to read this you definitely have enough time to send in a little review.


	5. Revenge is Too Sweet

THANK YOU to all of you that reviewed. Here's the next chapter. It'll have more hints of Jesse/Emma in it, so I hope that makes you happy!!

Disclaimer: NOT MINE, wish they were but THEY'RE NOT. However Corey and Analyn do belong to me along with a couple of others, if you use, ask first.

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Bold indicates emphasis on a word.

__

Italics indicate thoughts, or time lapse

***** indicate time lapse or scene change

Chapter 4

****

Revenge is Too Sweet

Eckhart and agent Karyn Darnel watched Emma, she had been sitting perfectly still with her head on her hands for several hours now. She was just staring into space in the room opposite where Analyn was being held. It was the same room as before and if Analyn were conscious she still wouldn't be able to see Emma because on her side it was a mirror rather than a window.

"What is she **doing**?" Darnel asked in annoyance as she glared at Emma's image on the monitor of one of the security cameras. "Come one, she's been sitting there for hours. We—you should give her an assignment."

"There's one thing I've learned working with psionics, Miss Darnel. It's that there is more to them than meets the eye. It may appear she is staring into space but it is more than that, as she is probably in some way doing her job… mentally." Eckhart continued to watch Emma on screen as Darnel began to leave. "Oh, and Miss Darnel, one more thing." She looked back at him expectantly waiting for him to carry on. "Whatever you do I **forbid** you to disturb Miss DeLauro whenever she is in a state like this for half an hour or more. If you do… you'll be out faster than you can say telempath." Obviously keeping that in mind she exited with Eckhart still surveying any of Emma's actions.

************

The sun had already disappeared over the horizon as Jesse began to stir. Dizziness and confusion filled his head as he attempted to stand up. Bringing his eyes into focus, he squinted to see the time. He had been out for... six hours. Looking around him he saw Adam, Shalimar and Brennan were still out cold. Then putting things together he began to think out loud.

"Wait, this doesn't make sense. If I was the last one Emma hit with her psionic blast thing then how am I the first one to wake up?" He pondered this a bit and realized that Emma must've purposely used less force on him than the others. "It almost seemed like she didn't want to knock **me** out." Whilst he thought about this he began trying to awake his fellow teammates. Starting with Shal he went from one to the other trying to get them conscious again. He finally got an annoyed groan out of Brennan. "Come ON man! Get up!" Jesse yelled at him and forced him to stand despite the fact he almost tumbled back to the ground. He was barely able to get a movement out of Shal while he was trying to get Adam up.

"Man! I got a **killer** headache!" Brennan said grasping his forehead. "What the hell?" He looked around, noticing that it was night, when they had been knocked out in the afternoon.

"Come on, five more minutes mom…" Shal mumbled, obviously a little out of it. Brennan was getting a bit bothered that Shal was trying to sleep so he gave her a little jumpstart. "HEY! What was THAT for!" Shalimar yelled now on her feet and brushing herself off as some sparks could still be seen radiating.

"Adam, what's wrong?" Jesse said as he saw Adam looked pale and he held his head. It was the look of disaster. While Adam was getting it together Brennan kept on calling Emma some… not so nice names as he bitched to Shal about it.

"You know what, if I see her again anytime soon. I'm gonna give that…" Brennan paused a moment and then continued. "That bitch something to think about."

"You know what Brennan? You can stop. Badmouthing Emma isn't going to reverse anything so you might as well quit it. She bailed on **all** of us. **Not just you**." Shalimar had a look on her face that read 'I can't believe I'm going to say this'. "Look, we should've expected something like this." Both Brennan and Jesse looked at her like she was crazy. "I'm serious! We all know her power has been growing which has caused her to change, and I guess this last boost was too much for her."

"But going to Eckhart?!? That guy is a couple strings short of a guitar. Where did she ever get the idea to go to that maniac?? This isn't like you Shal, accepting this like it's a fact."

"Well it IS!!! And whether any of us like it or not she's on the other side of the fence now."

"How can you accept it so easily Shal?" asked Jesse. "None of us could have seen it coming." He spoke calmly before raising his voice; "It's EMMA for crying out loud!"

"She's right." Adam finally spoke.

"What?!?!" Jesse and Brennan both yelled in unison.

"How can she be right Adam?" Jesse continued.

"The question you asked me just a bit a go, 'what's wrong?' Shalimar is right, that's what's wrong." Seeing her face, "and I didn't mean it in that sort of way." He took a deep breath to get ready to explain this to his team. "Yes, Emma doesn't even seem like the type of person to resort to these levels but unfortunately it's completely understandable. Her growing psionic power leaves her open to drastic changes in lifestyle, or rather her **way** of thinking. I think we've all started to notice that she doesn't have much patience anymore, and that is due to the toll her abilities take on her." He took a pause so they could begin to absorb this. "There isn't anything we can do for her either."

"What? Can't you give her something, anything?!? To help her out." Brennan retorted, unable to grasp completely what Adam was saying.

"It doesn't work like that Brennan. What is happening to her is in no form genetic related; therefore, we cannot help her no matter how much we would like to."

"So… we'll just have to do without her right? That's what we can do." Shalimar struggled to stay calm cool and collected through Adam's talk.

"All of you DON'T seem to understand!!! We could **not** be in a more dangerous position and I was a fool to have not seen the signs! If we can't find a way to bring back some of the old Emma, then us and our cause could be LOST!!" Anger seemed to leave the group as tension rose. Shalimar actually shivered with what Adam was telling them. They still weren't totally getting it though.

"Adam… we can still get her back." Jesse almost mumbled, he said it so softly.

"I'm trying to make you understand! Emma… is one of **the** most powerful mutants on record, and with her abilities climbing everyday, the more dangerous she becomes." He stopped a second to let it sink in but not long enough for one of them to reply. "There is absolutely **no chance** any of you have when matched up against her telempathy. I have always worried whenever any of you underestimated her skills because despite the strength in our team, we must always have a strategy against one of our own if such a situation ever presented itself. Because of all of our own arrogance, Emma can and will be our downfall if can't figure something out.

"We could still fight, all of us are--" Shalimar spoke but Adam cut her off.

"Strong? Yes, but none of can mentally match Emma, not by a long shot. Please try to take in the seriousness of this situation. Emma has the power to manipulate others' sense of reality, all of you know that. But, did you ever actually think you were immune to that power. You always see her easily subdue enemies with not much more than a glance, she could very well do the same to any of you in battle. Shalimar, you may have conquered your greatest fear. But, you should know, very well, that she could make you think that you are afraid of it again, even more than before. She could get into each of your minds and take you through emotional hell and back again without even needing to see you our be near you. All of your abilities, in order to use them against someone, must be used when you are practically right next to them. Emma could be half way around the world and still make us all go mad because our emotions are the ones she recognizes the most."

"Making… us her easiest targets." Shalimar finished what she knew Adam would say. "I feel so foolish. We all knew Emma's powers but never figured she'd ever use them against us. **My God!!** She could very well kill us without even needing to be anywhere near us."

"I'm sorry that I am telling you all this now. I should've told you right when Emma joined Mutant X, but I didn't want to scare you or her for that matter. Emma knows what she can do and I suspect that even before her last growth spurt that she could do things she never showed us. We have to completely rethink our playbook if we want to even survive this, let alone conquer."

"Oh my… God. Shal's right." Started Jesse as he was coming to a realization. "The signs were all there, but I never figured **this** would happen. Lately she's been acting different and—it's our fault." Brennan still looked pissed as Jesse said this.

"I guess you're right." Brennan was actually agreeing with him but the look on his face was still there.

__

"That's odd they woke up two hours before they were supposed to." Emma thought to herself as she tuned into these very events._ "They aren't supposed to react like this!"_ It wasn't like she could see or hear it but she felt what they were feeling and it was… remorse. _"They're actually blaming themselves for this. Maybe I could—NO!!"_ She yelled to herself out loud. She was finally moving from her trance. She stood up as if about to leave and then sat back down again, and taking the same position she had been in for the past few hours. _'Time to play…"_ Emma thought to herself as she tuned back in.

"I'm glad you finally realize how drastic the situation has become, but that will not save any of us."

"Adam." Shalimar called, but he was already starting for the Double Helix.

"Someone needs to take the car Emma drove in." Adam said to them, gesturing towards the badly parked vehicle just sitting in the street. They watched him get in but it didn't take off yet.

"So… who's going to drive?" Shal asked, to change the subject from the conversation they just finished.

"I will." Both Jesse and Brennan said in the same tone at the same time. This caused them to look at each other and they began fighting over the keys. Both were struggling to get the keys and run to the driver's seat. Shal just stood where she was, laughing to herself at this sight. Then she began walking fast and forced her self between the two and grabbed the keys from them.

"Well if you two babies can't decide you can both ride in the back." Shalimar walked to the car and looked back at them and smiled. The two boys sulked in the back of the car as her amused laughter filled the car. "You guys are impossible, but now it's time to put the pedal to the metal." Shal floored the car as they pulled away at amazing speed.

Shalimar was just going on down an alleyway, back to Sanctuary, when out of nowhere she felt dizzy. It was almost like a trance and she wasn't quite aware of everything around her. Then suddenly…

"Hello Shalimar." Emma was now sitting in the passenger seat and it made Shal jump. Her eyes widened as she looked over and saw Emma with her own eyes.

"What the hell do you think you're doing." Shalimar said through many short breaths, as she continued driving.

"Paying you a visit." 

"You know? I have every right to beat the crap out of you right now." She grumbled under her breath.

"Uhhh… Shal?" Brennan said, as he looked at Jesse and back at her. She was talking to an empty seat. He then turned to Jesse to talk, "**What** is she doing?" he whispered.

"Well… it seems she's talking to an empty seat." Jesse replied, smiling at his own wisecrack.

"Will you just shut up! Look at her, she, she's yelling at the car seat."

"Maybe if we listen we can hear what she's yelling at it." Jesse said, sarcastically.

"You know what? That isn't a bad idea." He patted Jesse's shoulder and leaned forward in the car to listen.

"I TOLD you already! Get the hell out!!!!" Shalimar yelled, continuing on in her conversation with 'Emma' that the guys already missed. The only thing they saw was a one sided conversation from Shal's point of view.

"Okay, lets think. The only other way Shal could be talking—think she is talking to someone else is if--" Brennan then finished Jesse's thought.

"There **was **someone else inside her head." Both men looked at each other before speaking in unison.

"Emma."

So the guys were trying to snap Shalimar back to reality, while Shalimar was almost screaming at Emma. Emma kept on smiling malevolently at Shalimar.

"They seem to want to know what's going on." Emma started, as she pointed with her eyes over at the guys.

"You know what? They don't need to know anything but the fact that you stabbed us in the back." Shal paused, thinking. " Why are you here?!? Do you want us to **join** you or something?!?!? No, no, no." Shal then said to keep Emma from saying anything. "You were the one who took a wrong turn! We'll never follow you!!"

"I'm not telling you to take a 'wrong turn', you just better take a turn and fast." Shalimar's face screwed up in confusion as Emma's image disappeared.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?!?!?" Shalimar yelled after Emma who had quit making contact with her. Then it happened in a matter of seconds. Shal glanced at the car's path and saw they were moments away from a brick wall. "OH shi--" Her exclamation was broke off short, as they made collision with it. Jesse hadn't been watching the road; he was too busy arguing with Brennan, so he couldn't phase the vehicle in time.

The crash was fast and painful. Shal's head hit the dashboard and she was knocked out with a trickle of blood coming down her face from her scalp. Both Jesse and Brennan had not worn their seatbelts and were knocked out in odd positions against the backs of the two front seats. Back in the dark room where Emma was sitting, she opened her eyes and smiled.

In the surveillance room Eckhart and Darnel watched Emma get up and leave. As she was walking through the halls she decided to tune back in.

******

The Helix landed a little ways away from the crashed car. Adam hurriedly got out and came to his teammates' aid. Shalimar was jammed between her seat and the wheel of the car, so there was no hope right now of him getting her out himself. Brennan looked like he had dislocated his shoulder, so Adam had to get Jesse up. He was the one who had obtained the least amount of damage.

"Jesse, come on get up." He kept trying to get his molecular partner awake. Adam knew that Jesse would be the least hurt already because he is a molecular. Whether he used his power or not he still had the most protection. Adam was not about to give up on getting Jesse up.

******

Emma was still walking as she read the situation her 'friends' were in. When she reached Jesse she suddenly stopped and screamed, as she fell to her knees.

"Jesse," Emma cried out. Knowing that the main cause of his slumber was mental and not physical Emma gave Jesse an emotional nudge. She was afraid he was hurt so she released him from the pain. This in turn caused Jesse to wake up just as Adam had stopped for a minute.

******

"Okay, this is good. You're awake now. I need you to wake up Brennan and phase Shalimar out of her seat because she is stuck." 

"Why can't you just wake Brennan up? You woke me up."

"Well I knew I could get **you** up," Adam replied as he helped Jesse up and they went around to the left side of the car to get Brennan.

"Why is that?" Asked Jesse.

"Well, you're molecular. All moleculars, over time, build up an immunity to most infections and altogether they have stronger white blood cells." Jesse looked up at Adam before he pulled Brennan out of the car.

"I didn't know that." He mumbled.

"Umhhh… what?" Brennan muttered as he began to stir.

"Come on, get up. We need to get Shal back to Sanctuary!" Jesse said hurriedly.

"Huh?!?" Brennan quickly got up; about to pull Shal out, but Adam stopped him.

"Jesse needs to get her out. He's the only one who can without hurting her." As Adam told Brennan this he looked pissed. "You can be the hero next time, Brennan."

"Careful!" Brennan said pointing.

"**Shut** up! I know what I'm doing." Jesse carefully phased Shal out of the seat and lifted her into Brennan's arms. "There, you can carry her."

"Lets go--" Adam began.

"Ouch!" Brennan almost collapsed, and he had barely taken a step.

"You better carry Shalimar, Jesse. Brennan needs to keep from using his shoulder until I can right it. Don't worry we'll fix it right up." Adam reassured Brennan, interpreting it was doubtful expression on his face.

The three of them hurried to the Double Helix, leaving the wrecked car behind. They then took off towards Sanctuary.

******

Emma's face showed a bit of disgust on it.

_"I've got to stop this!! Every time I help Jesse the pain I inflict on the others seems to cancel out. Why? Why do I even care?!?"_ Emma thought, frustrated, to herself. She took a right into a small room that had a couple tables surrounded by chairs and a long table with a coffeepot and cups up against the wall on the left. She went in, sat in a chair and decided to rest for a bit, just to clear her head.

************

In Sanctuary the three men stood around the lab as they waited for the results of Shalimar's scan. Adam had tidied her up along with Brennan. The major problem was that Shal had taken quite a blow to the head. Hopefully what Adam did brought back some of her health. Brennan had been fixed up too; he had a bandage wrapped around his arm socket so it would cover his shoulder blade. According to Adam he'd still be able to move it, but he just should avoid any sudden movement.

"Wha….?" Shalimar mumbled as her eyes squinted when she opened them to let in the light. She blinked a couple times until she was more conscious of her surroundings. "ADAM! It wasn't my fault!! Emma was in my head and distracted me otherwise I would have seen the wall in time and we wouldn't have crashed and ow my head hurts and I should have ignored her and watched the road instead and then this mess wouldn't have gotten worse--"

"**Slow** down Shal. Take a breath between sentences." Brennan said, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"He's right, take a few deep breaths and calm down. And don't worry; we believe you." Adam began. "You're going to be just fine. I've given you some painkillers, which should reduce your concussion to a mild headache. Now I want you to take it easy. You can still fight but no… no fancy stuff. For now." Shalimar put on a sulky face at this but then smiled as she agreed to what Adam asked of her.

The guys began to get to work when Shalimar started talking again.

"Wait… it **was** my fault." They all looked back over at her.

"What are you talking about? Emma messed with your mind. It wasn't your fault Shal!" Jesse assured her.

"But it was! Before Emma left my head… she said… Oh! She said 'I'm not telling you to take a wrong turn, you just better take a turn and fast'. She **told** me to turn."

"Yeah Shal, but she didn't exactly spell it out for you! She knew you wouldn't figure out what she meant until it was too late. Jesse's right, it wasn't your fault." Said Brennan.

All of them kept on telling Shalimar it wasn't her fault despite what she was saying. After some time she finally accepted it.

************

Analyn struggled to loosen her binds. She had been left alone for sometime now, no one had interrogated her again, yet. She appeared to be trying to use her telekinesis but with telekinesis you have to be able to see what you're moving.

"Okay now, I've done this before…" She told her self out loud. Then she closed her eyes and rested her head on her chest. Behind her the rope began undoing itself until it was completely off.

She wasted no time in her escape. Coming to the door it was locked, so once again she closed her eyes and focused. The sound of it unlocking pierced the air and she opened it and rushed down the halls. Off in her little corner Emma's eyes shot open.

Sensing Analyn's escape, Emma pinpointed her location and hurried to stop her. It wasn't long before Analyn was in sight. Emma slowly sneaked up behind Analyn who was taking any guards out in her path with telekinetic blows. Emma slowed down and reached out; about to grab her by the shoulder when in a flash she was flipped upside-down and stuck on the ceiling. Coursing with anger that Analyn escaped Emma fumed.

"How on EARTH did YOU get out?!? You are a telekinetic! Telekinetics can NOT move things with their minds unless what they are moving is in plain sight!" Emma yelled and wondered.

"You are right," Analyn began. "But maybe **you** have heard of a little something called psychokinesis! Telekinesis **is** one of my powers but it's not only! It's in good company. **AND** reading by the confused look on your face, psychokinesis is where the person can move things that they can't see. That power will only work when the object is not in view." She paused for a bit. "Got IT?!?"

Though taken aback, Emma regained her composure and concentrated to use her own telekinesis to right herself. Despite it being her new power, her version of telekinesis was much too weak to face off a full Telekinetic with developed abilities.

Lastly, she decided to rely on the power she's always had. An orb of light appeared in front of her forehead and she hit Analyn with the blast. This made her collapse and Emma fell towards the ground (upside-down). Emma saved herself with a quick bit of levitation, one more perk to her empathic telekinetic abilities. She strolled over and grabbed Analyn's unconscious form from under her arm. 

"That'll teach you." Emma was about to move her when she felt a mental prick, _"I don't want to do this, this isn't me!! I'm hurting the very people I used to help." _Emma paused and stood up, it felt like a bunch of needles were piercing her mind. "What the hell? Those aren't my thoughts." She tried to convince herself, but _"I've got to stop! I'm going to take her to safety, then I'll go make up with my teammates."_ Emma looked around from where she was standing as if a fly buzzed above her head. She looked suspiciously around from where she was standing. Then she yelled, "**Who **the HELL are you?!? And where are you?!?" She looked around some more, expecting to see some mutant turn a corner. "You can't play **me**. **I**'m a psionic. I know how these things work. You can't fool me!!" Emma started with overconfidence in her voice and triumph implied near the end.

"You don't want to do this Emma. Not only are you hurting others, you're hurting yourself. Stop it now while you can! Seek redemption from those you have hurt and then maybe, maybe they'll start on that road to trust again. It won't be easy but this is the intersection. You either go right or left and you can't turn back once you've made your decision." These thoughts echoed inside her head as if her own. 

"WHO **are** you???" Just then a young man stepped out from a corner right ahead of where she and Analyn were. Analyn was still unconscious of course.

"You don't want to hurt these people Emma. Remember? In the beginning you thought Eckhart was putting people into prisons, just for being what they were born. Now you're helping that cause you've worked against for so long." This young man was younger than Emma was, but not by much (20 maybe). He had short dark hair and large eyes. His eyes were even bluer than hers were. "You know this isn't you. So don't make it so." The young man had lowered his voice to almost a whisper.

"You still haven't answered my question." Emma said this as if ignoring everything he had just told her.

"**Fine**. My name is Corey Monroe. You happy? I'm a psionic telepath, precog. That's how I was in side your mind." He spoke this as if Emma should already know who he was.

"Well your reputation does not proceed you. You speak as if I should know who you are and yet I've never heard the name before."

"HA! If you're working directly under Eckhart you probably know my whole life story!" He gathered by the look on her face she didn't quite know but assumed himself wrong about that.

"Just back away! I'll let **you** go, this time. But you better run." She powered up a psionic blast threateningly.

"I guess you really DON'T know. Otherwise you'd know that **that**," he pointed at the psionic orb she still held in position, "Would not work on **me**. Now aside from that I can't let you. I'm not leaving, not without Analyn." Emma just stared and for some reason instead of fighting she kept asking questions.

"Why? You're not related or I would have seen you on the charts. Plus, no Corey Monroe has been in contact with her for… for a **long** time."

"Not in any normal ways but I've kept in telepathic contact for several years. After She and I made a pact, or a deal as it may be called. And… Oh, but you know all about **deals**, don't you Emma? You made that deal with Eckhart and LOOK where it got you!" Corey began raising his voice.

"WHAT? What was the deal?" Corey threw her a look and decided to tell her.

"I promised Analyn that as long as she kept **my** whereabouts, and power progress hidden that I would be her guardian angel. I would look out for her, and all I'd need to do that was something I already had, telepathy."

"Well I won't let you take her!" Emma yelled, losing her coolness.

"LIKE I SAID!! I KNOW WHY YOU'RE DOING THIS!!!" He strode over and grabbed Emma by the neck. He held her ear right to his mouth and began speaking in the lowest whisper but it was an angry one, through gritted teeth. "Selfish, you inflict pain because you're blaming others for the pain you've only caused for yourself. You have no idea what pain is! All my teenage life I had to live with pain in my head, the very pain I **still** live with. Because of my 'gifts' I practically went insane. Do you have **any** idea what's like? Having to live your life day to day with everyone's thoughts filling your head? Not knowing whether the events you see are past present or future? Having to bear all these thoughts and visions at once without even a single moment to spare for yourself? Never knowing what **is** happening? Never knowing what **you** are thinking? **That **is my life from the last e-leve-en years! I **LIVE** with that and at least I have the decency to **not** punish others for everything that's gone wrong with my life!" He then loosened his grip on her neck, but staring daggers at her. Emma was breathing deeply out of panic. The emotions from Corey were so intense that she was scared out of her wits. "Remember that." He finished.

"AHH!" Emma screamed and woke with a jolt, dripping in cold sweat. She looked around, panic-stricken, and realized she had dozed off in the cramped lounge area with the single coffeemaker. "Oh, it was just a dream." She took a deep breath. It had been so vivid; she could remember every single feeling that coursed through the halls, she could even feel the pressure that 'what's his name, Corey' had put on her neck. "Weird," she started to herself, "It feels like my feet hurt from when they slammed into the ceiling. That was a dream, but… it did seem awfully clear to be a dream." She then reassured herself it was a dream by stating out loud, "Hey, I know no Corey Monroe! That's a relief."

TBC…

Another long chapter (not as long as the previous). The next one will be up sooner because it'll be shorter. It's kind of a bit to link this chapter and the one after next. But PLEASE reviews are **always** appreciated.


	6. Dream?

Okay, here's the next chapter. Another link in the chain that is my story. Thanks again for all your LOVELY reviews. I really enjoy reading your comments about what you think is going to happen, what you want to happen or just something that encourages me to keep writing. THANK YOU!

Disclaimer: NOT MINE, wish they were but THEY'RE NOT. However Corey and Analyn do belong to me along with a couple of others, if you use, ask first.

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Bold indicates emphasis on a word.

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Italics indicate thoughts, or time lapse

***** indicate time lapse or scene change

Chapter 5

Dream? 

It was later the next morning, and the entire Mutant X team had broken into the compound. Emma had fallen back asleep in the same chair she had only stopped to rest in the evening before. All three of her former teammates sneaked past security, as Adam was making their job easier by working from the Helix. He had bypassed several security codes, allowing them undetected entry. However, they did not account for Emma still being there. Just as they had gotten to Analyn, who had already broken out of her cuffs with her powers of psychokinesis, Emma awoke and sensed their presence.

"Oh my god, I'm so glad to see you!" Analyn whispered to the three mutants who were escorted her through the building. "Ever since I got thrown in here I've actually wondered to myself if I'd ever get out again. I mean that twisted, wicked--" She was cut off by the looks Shalimar, Brennan and Jesse threw her. They knew she was about to talk about Emma.

"Well this time you're going to get out, and get out for good." Shal reassured her, acting as if the very last bit of Analyn's words hadn't been said.

"Eckhart will never get that information out of you if we have anything to do with it." Jesse added.

"Enough talk, lets get the hell out of here." Brennan said, a bit rushed.

"Afraid I can't let you do that!" A voice yelled from behind them, just as they had begun to move.

All four of them turned their heads in unison to see Emma standing there. Shalimar's eyes glowed feral as she leaped in Emma's direction. When she landed she began to run, only to be stopped short by a psionic blast from Emma. It didn't knock her out, but she wasn't entirely aware of anything happening as she lay on the floor. Seeing this both Brennan and Jesse rushed forward, not to help Shal up but to stop Emma.

"Why don't I give you a little taste of your own medicine!" Brennan yelled, as he powered up a tesla coil of electricity.

By the look on Jesse's face he didn't seem too keen on letting Brennan zap Emma. That, however, did not matter because before either of them did anything Emma's forehead illuminated with an ultraviolet light. Then both Brennan and Jesse's foreheads were illuminated with the same color. Right after that Brennan threw the electricity in Jesse's direction, but he massed so the energy had no effect.

"There. You can't do anything about it if you're fighting each other now, can you?" Emma had deactivated her 'mental pill' she always used on them to keep their heads level when around one another._ "Finally, that annoying mutant instinct came in handy for once."_ Dismissing everything else that was going on, Emma turned to Analyn who had collapsed. Apparently there was something unstable about her that caused her to slip in and out of consciousness regularly. "Now to take care of you."

Emma leaned down and picked Analyn halfway off the ground to where she was on her knees. She still swayed back in forth even though Emma held onto her shoulder tightly. Then, obtaining the look she did whenever reading someone, she began to punish Analyn in her mind. Suddenly Analyn shrieked in pain, pain that she had never felt before. This was so strong that it aroused Shalimar from her state and stopped Brennan and Jesse's struggle. Even Adam, all the way back in the Double Helix, shivered as he felt the pain that radiated from Analyn and he winced.

"At last! **Something **is going my way." Just as she said that aloud to herself she felt a sting in her head. It was this prick in her mind, like a horde of needles puncturing her psyche. "Not** this** again!" Emma shouted to herself and loosened her grip on Analyn.

"No, me!" A somehow familiar voice said from behind her.

She turned to see a young man, younger than her, standing in the hallway. He was taller than she was and definitely younger. He had short dark hair, larger eyes and the bluest ones you've ever seen. He looked around twenty or twenty-one years old. Emma just stared, not realizing she had released Analyn from her grip, emotional and physical. As she just seemingly stared at this young man Brennan and Jesse resumed their clash. Each one throwing hits towards the other in attempt to subdue one another. Emma gaped, and the man spoke again.

"Well, I see you have no problem with your short term memory." He began.

"That's impossible." Emma mumbled to herself in which case he did not hear.

The two began an unseen mental battle with one another. It was telepathy versus telempathy in a war of minds. Emma was losing. She kept finding thoughts, not her own, entering her head. This distracted her and allowed him full entry to her mind.

_"I know this is crazy but he was in my dream!"_ Emma thought to herself. _"His name is, is…"_ She mentally broke off. "Corey?" She said questioningly out loud. The look she received from him only confirmed her suspicions. 

Getting angry, Emma then decided this was definitely not going to end with her as the victor if they kept on fighting in this fashion. Concentrating hard she used her weak telekinesis to lift Corey into the air; therefore, causing him to break his link to her. Keeping him afloat Emma then leapt and kicked him in the stomach. Back on the ground she continued to throw more physical hits at her new opponent, Corey.

A ways behind this fight Analyn was beginning to become aware of her surroundings again. Although she could not see it for her back was facing them; she could hear Emma trying to punch his lights out. Then she closed her eyes and brought her chin to her chest. Suddenly Emma's blows were cut short as in a flash she was flipped upside-down and stuck to the ceiling. Corey quit flinching as the punches, kicks and throws had ceased. Emma frantically looked around until she saw Analyn, now standing and facing her with her arm outstretched.

"You want to get physical? Then your fight is with me!" Analyn's eyes reflected a mix of pure hatred and fear. Gathering herself together Emma decided to agree.

"Okay, I'll bite, you just let me down and you can have your fight!" Emma shouted, completely ignoring Corey now.

"Ana, you don't have to do this." Corey mouthed to Analyn.

"Yes Corey, yes I do." Analyn replied before letting Emma down from the ceiling, not so carefully I might add.

Before Emma could even concentrate on Analyn's mind she found herself feeling the pain. At first she thought it was a telempathic attack until she noticed at Analyn's hand movement did Emma move, as if on command. Continuing to attempt focus for her own telekinetic attack Emma realized that physically she was no match for a full-fledged telekinetic/psychokinetic. If she was going to win it'd have to be on her own terms.

Through her mental planning Emma did not notice an exchanged nod between Corey and Analyn. Sooner than Emma could do anything Analyn had held Emma against the wall and Corey concentrated all his energy in turn knocking her unconscious. The two of them gathered up Emma's remains and fled the building to who knows where.

Through this ordeal Brennan and Jesse couldn't have noticed anything because they were still locked in warrants. Aside from that the nearly unconscious Shalimar lay on the ground staring in the direction Corey and Analyn had run in. Only she had witnessed their escape but had no time to ponder it for in the next minute she was out cold. This was due to a mental surge Corey had sent through the vicinity to allow a clean escape and avoid Mutant X or Eckhart pursuing them.

TBC…

I know this chapter was shorter but it's just to get some things said before the next chapter. There's not much else to say other than "Please review." I know it's only a request but I can still try can't I?


	7. An Interrogation Sensation

Thank you to EVERYONE who reviewed. THANK YOU for taking a tiny bit of time just to say 'good job' or something to that effect. As I will remind you the more reviews I get the earlier I can get the chapter up. I seem to be able write faster when I have more support.

Disclaimer: NOT MINE, wish they were but THEY'RE NOT. However Corey and Analyn do belong to me along with a couple of others, if you use, ask first.

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Bold indicates emphasis on a word.

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Italics indicate thoughts, or time lapse

***** indicate time lapse or scene change

Chapter 6

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An Interrogation Sensation

Corey and Analyn arrived, carrying Emma, at an old abandoned safe house that had been discovered by Eckhart a long time ago. This was a less likely place for Mutant X or Eckhart to look for them. Corey then took Emma from Analyn and set her down in a chair, she was beginning to stir.

"Do your thing," said Corey, gesturing towards where Emma sat moving around a bit.

Lifting her arms straight out with her hands facing upwards, Analyn held them out towards Emma's shifting figure. There seemed to be a change in the air around her and for a second it looked like she was in a bubble, but the image of that bubble vanished.

"Okay," Analyn began, letting her arms fall to her sides. She looked to her right to look at Corey's face that was staring down at Emma. "She isn't going anywhere." Analyn too stared down at Emma, as she became more conscious every second. Both could see Emma try to stretch, they could see are muscles attempting movement but she didn't move her arms like she thought she was.

"Wha?!?" Emma yelled, her eyes shot open when she realized she couldn't move (she could barely but not enough to actually do anything). Emma could not move her head so she moved her eyes to stare up into the faces of Analyn and Corey. "What the hell?" Emma could feel her anger rising within her that these two… brats had captured her for whatever reason and held her captive in an old safe house. 

She attempted to rise but found she could not, so she resorted to staring down the both of them. Her frustration was the only thing that kept her from attempting to access their minds.

"I told you it'd work" Analyn said, diverting her gaze over to Corey. Without even needing Emma to ask Analyn explained. "I have placed a telekinetic force field around you. Nothing can get in or out of the bubble you're in." Obviously doubting this information, Emma powered up a psionic blast on her forehead. The orb pulsed as she held it in position.

"Oh yeah?" Was all Emma said before she sent the blast flying forward… or what she had thought would fly forward.

The psionic blast hadn't even gone six inches before it backtracked and hit Emma instead. Her head rolled backwards as far as it could in the telekinetic force field, and if this had not surrounded her she would be half hanging over the back of the chair she sat on. Both Corey and Analyn just looked at each other and shrugged.

__

***Later***

Corey and Analyn stood around just whispering to each other as if Emma was awake. Then once again Emma stirred. When she became completely conscious, this time she did not issue a psionic blast. All she could do was stare menacingly.

"Obviously, you have learned your lesson. A telepath is never **wrong**." Corey impressed upon her.

"What do you want? Why have you brought me here?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. One question at a time, especially if the answers to both questions are one and the same. We don't need to waist time." Corey apparently was going to do the talking. Analyn just stood there, guarding rather than watching.

"Well?!?" Then before Corey could begin to answer her question she began speaking again. "I've seen you." Was all she said, and it was more like stating a fact rather than wondering or pondering a thought.

"Of** course** you have Emma. That wasn't a dream you had, it was quite real. You see that just demonstrates how much power I **do** have. I was able to convince a full-fledged telempath that a real memory was simply a vague dream. Well it wasn't. It was very real… the thoughts… the emotions… all of it was **very, very** real." His eyes appeared to stare straight through her. Right then Emma remembered the pain she had felt radiating and winced at the thought of it. It was time to get to the bottom of things.

"Emma, I'm here to try and help you. You need to realize what you're doing. That you're acting under false ideals; you have convinced yourself that since Adam can not help… will not help you that you will look somewhere else. It is an unspoken request from him to deal with this on your own. This not being the answer you wanted you go searching elsewhere. To find someone who will resort to genetics to solve this problem. So you go to his enemy, your enemy to find a solution. You would have held back but you felt that your teammates did not know the limits of you power so you wanted to show them up." Corey was walking back and forth repeatedly in front of Emma.

"Why are **you** speaking with me about this. You're not involved!"

"You know what? I wouldn't have been involved but Analyn was brought into this so guess what?!? I'm involved!"

"What does she have to do with this?!?!" Emma shouted, looking angrily at Analyn.

"Everything! If you remember **correctly** that I told you I had agreed to be Analyn's guardian angel, so I'm here protecting her. All she needed was to keep my secrecy… Now to finish with Adam's favor."

"Favor??"

"Yes, favor. Since you had left and I came into the picture. Well, once I discovered this involved Mutant X I jumped on board. They needed a psionic and I like to help. For the past two days I have been making battle plans, they know exactly where we are."

"Battle plans?" she almost said amusingly and then switched back to frustration and anger. "You make this sound like it's a war!!"

"Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. It all depends on the point of view you look at it from. For one there's a war between Mason and Adam. Then there's between Eckhart's people and Mutant X, then one with you and yourself and one between you and your teammates."

"Hold on! What do you mean?!? Me and myself?"

"I'm talking about the battle within you. There are two sides to your conscience you know? Whether you realize it or not both sides of your conscience have come to a mutual agreement. This **agreement** makes it so you're not trying to decide what to do because both sides are happy when you're through working. One side wants a cure the most while the other one wants to 'prove' to your friends how capable you are. By deciding to achieve both of these you are totally convinced there's nothing wrong with your plan." Emma always changed the subject whenever she didn't want to keep the direction their conversation went in.

"Where do you get off telling **me** what to do, where to go and who I am?!?" This seemed to make Corey tick."

"Where do I get off? Where do I get OFF?!? WHERE DO I GET OFF?!?!? I tell you." He moved as close as he could to her face since she was surrounded by the telekinetic force field. "You think you're all high and mighty since you're a telempath and the only one who can cause pain. Well I'm about to give you a new definition of pain." His brow furrowed and Emma's face screwed up. It looked like she would have screamed if she had enough voice for it, but it was such an overwhelming pain that she couldn't get a sound out. "You see? Telempaths attack from underneath the surface of a person and it's a dull pain that lasts forever. Telepaths however can inflict a more obvious pain but it works just as well all the same. It's more of a slap in the face that lasts forever. It stings doesn't it?" He said and finally let go his hold on her.

For a while Corey and Analyn stood silently with Emma sitting until Corey looked up.

"They're near." Emma gazed up at him strangely.

"You can't sense people! You're a telepath."

"I know very well what I can and cannot do! A telepath may not sense feelings but they sense thoughts. **AND** if YOU are hearing everyone's thoughts **everyday **all the time whether you're sleeping or awake I think you are **bound** to sense ONE person eventually!!" He paused before rounding on her to stare at her eye-level again. "Do you have ANY idea what that is LIKE?!?!" The look on Emma's face answered his question. "**HOW** would you like it if one day you're fourteen and in high school, just starting to have fun and your friends to look forward to. You think, 'Yeah I may read minds and not be able to stop it at certain times, but that rarely happens.' You're doing great on a test and you're actually a bit happy about your exams. That is until what feels like tidal wave crushes you. But instead of water, it's made of thoughts.** Everyone's** thoughts, drowning you leaving you unable to comprehend anything or even know what **YOU** are thinking. It's a huge migraine and it hurts so badly that not only can't you find your thoughts but also you don't even know what other people are saying. Now think of this for the rest of your life!" All Emma did was stare, there was nothing left to do. What else could someone say when presented with such information?

It almost seemed as if time stood still as Emma and Corey stared into each other's eyes. Emma's showing fear, while Corey's flashed with anger and pain. Before anything actually happened on either side of the safe house a door was busted in. On one side Shalimar walked in (obviously she had kicked the door in) followed by Adam and Brennan. A question might have arisen as to why or how Brennan was here instead of duking things out with Jesse, but the answer became obvious once he came into view. Jesse's unconscious body was flung over Brennan's shoulder and as he entered he lay him down. Apparently the instinct the two have turns off when one is out cold, or at least if one knocks the other out cold.

Opposite Mutant X's entrance was Darnel, followed by a bunch of agents with tasers and a couple mutants among these people was Eckhart.

"Well, it seems… we have a dilemma." Eckhart wasn't speaking to anyone in particular; it seemed he was talking to everyone. "Adam. Once again you come foil my plans. How tragic that you will be forced to walk away with nothing while we will posses everything." He then diverted his gaze to Corey. "Mister Monroe, its pleasure. How much easier you have made things for me by simply… showing up. Now there is no need to interrogate Miss Carter here." He stared at Corey and all Corey did was stare back. "Incarcerate them. **All** of them!"

It didn't take even a second for orders to register in the agents' minds. Those who were non-mutants had tasers with them and advanced towards the remains of Mutant X.

"Adam. You should get out of here!" Shalimar told him a bit rushed. "And take Jess with you, he's no use to us unconscious." Adam nodded, he knew when there was a time to fight and there was a time to run. This was a time to run and let his teammates handle it.

It was only a little ways into the fight when Shalimar had told Adam this. Meanwhile Brennan was sending electric pulses every which way and had already succeeded in knocking a couple of people out. Shalimar was dealing with the 'bitch' Darnel, despite her own disadvantage to the firepower. A mix of Analyn and Corey's powers kept all the others at bay, in turn keeping them from reaching the telekinetically trapped Emma. She was trying in every way to get loose but it wasn't like they were bonds you could just break, so she was trying to use her telempathic telekinesis to will away the force field. In short… she failed.

The fight raged on and it hadn't even been for very long. Several agents had unsuccessfully tried to get Emma loose but they failed to get within three feet of her before being flung twenty feet away. Emma was beginning to show her anger and frustration as the fear within her dwindled. Her eyes were so alive with anger they could have been on fire.

"That's IT!!" She shouted. Only a couple people glanced over at her, Analyn and Corey included. Her eyeballs became pure black and then a ring of black energy was unleashed from her head, moving outward. Her eyes returned to their normal color immediately after she let loose this mental blast. It was basically a build up of all her bottled up emotions. This was successful in breaking the telekinetic force field; however, Emma did not join the struggle around the safe house. She walked over to where Brennan was fighting, and just stood there leaning against the wall, watching him fight, and stayed stationary.

Nearby Adam had only just lifted Jesse up (with a bit of trouble) and was making his way to the door they had entered when a loud voice ceased the fighting. 

"Enough!" Everyone looked up in the direction that it had come from. Eckhart was standing with an unfamiliar man next to him. By instinct Shalimar immediately moved into position to protect Adam. Emma diverted her gaze to him and listened attentively. "No one is going anywhere." He said plainly as he stole a quick glance at Adam.

"Oh yeah? And who's going to stop us? Surely not **you!**" Shalimar finished with disgust.

"Hold your tongue Miss Fox or I will have one of my agents hold it for you. It is pleasantly obvious that in the battle my people have the upper hand. There was and is no way for you to win it." Eckhart dismissed this pointless conversation with Shalimar and directed his attention to Adam. "Adam, Adam, Adam. For so long you have striven to keep me from my dreams, but now I am so close it no longer matters. This," he gestured to the young man beside him, "is my latest and most successful creation yet. He is a remake of the failed Chemical Elementals and I was able to bestow upon him the power of astral projection. Just to keep things surprising I won't tell you what those abilities of his can do. "The smile on Eckhart's face was unnerving Mutant X and Analyn and Corey, Emma didn't seem to notice. "Instead, I will show you what he can do. Or rather **he** will show you." Everyone stood motionless, even the agents didn't move a muscle. "Darnel."

"Right. All right Mr. Chafer, do your thing. Aim for those… three." She pointed towards Shalimar and Adam who was still carrying Jesse. Darnel had almost said two but realized that she wanted Jesse hit too.

"Can do." Robby Chafer replied in a kind of low scratchy voice that was unusual for his apparent young age. His face was roughly unshaven. 

Rob held his arms straight in front of him fists clenched. Then bringing his arms a bit closer he rotated his fists in circles and a glow emitted from this. Then he quickly flung his arms straight out again and unclenched his fists. This caused a certain type of energy, unleashed in a blast, to roar on ahead. Before anyone could do anything the blast hit, good and hard. This however did not put a smile on Eckhart's face for you see, Chafer's powers were underused and he didn't have such good aim. The blast he sent was so out of control that it did not hit the desired target, but went about six feet to the right and smashed into Brennan and Emma.

It all was happening so quickly that no one had time to react. The chemical blast had flung them with amazing force into the wall behind them, knocking them both out cold. They hit the wall so hard that the already breaking down safe house broke down even more. The force caused a cave-in. A couple poles fell and crisscrossed over the spot where Emma and Brennan lay. Then a bunch of rubble covered them up. The safe house continued to collapse. As soon as Shalimar and Adam could look around Eckhart's men and Corey and Analyn were nowhere to be found.

"We GOTTA get out of HERE!!!" Adam yelled above the loud crashes of the falling safe house.

"We can't just LEAVE them!!"

"We won't!!" Adam then got Shalimar and the unconscious Jesse out of there. Now that everything had settled it was just a huge pile of debris. They had no idea how deep down Brennan and Emma were buried, heck they didn't even know if they were… alive!!

TBC…

MWA HA HA HA! Another Cliffhanger! Can you hold on long enough for the next chapter? Maybe you could get a better grip if you sent in a review!!

Okay, Just thought I'd try a different approach to trying to get reviews J 


	8. A Revelation

I'd like to give a specific thank you to goldstranger. You have reviewed my story so many times and I like reading what you have to say. Thanks.

The more reviews I get the faster I can write, I'm not really sure how that works but it does. I apologize for not getting this chapter out sooner, but there wasn't much I could do. I had writer's block. MAJOR writer's block. Hopefully I'm past that now.

Disclaimer: NOT MINE, wish they were but THEY'RE NOT. However Corey and Analyn do belong to me along with a couple of others, if you use, ask first.

****

Bold indicates emphasis on a word.

__

Italics indicate thoughts, or time lapse

***** indicate time lapse or scene change

Chapter 7

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A Revelation

For a long while both Brennan and Emma lay lifeless in a closed off cave within the pile of rubbish that had been the safe house. It was Brennan who was the first to stir. He slowly came back to consciousness and as he stood up it took him a while to realize he was trapped inside a collapsed building. Not only that but he was trapped with Emma, Emma who had gone bonkers and was working for Eckhart and for who knows why.

"**Damn**!" Brennan shouted to himself. He rubbed his hands together and kept on clenching and unclenching them. They were incredibly sore for no apparent reason._ "It was my head that hit the wall so why is it my hands are hurting instead?"_ His head did hurt but it was not hurt that was caused by any physical damage, so he wasn't sure what to think.

After trying to dull the pain, which had not worked since it still hurt like hell, Brennan took a look around. It was pretty dark, and he expected the only reason he could see barely was his eyes had already adjusted. That was the only explanation because no lights could be working and there was too much rubble for outside light to get through. He was so distracted that he didn't even think of powering up an electric charge to be able to see. Currently he was more worried about whether or not there was any ventilation and if not how much air they had left. If there wasn't they could have just hours to live, or less. They… there **was **more than just him trapped here, he hadn't been thinking that Emma was in this as well and so using the term they seemed a bit odd.

"Uhhh…hmph…ahoh!" Emma coughed as she awoke. She didn't seem very faint for a person who just came into consciousness. She shook her head to wake herself up and took a look around. Immediately she took in the fact that she was trapped under the debris of the collapsed safe house. The size of the space was about seven feet high and a width of about ten or twelve feet. No way to get out and she was stuck there with Brennan. The two just exchanged glances that were surprisingly easy to see in such a darkened area.

******

On the outside of the pile of wreckage stood Adam and Shalimar with the still unconscious Jesse.

"What the **hell** are **we** supposed to do, Adam!?!?" Shalimar started. "They're buried under God knows how much mess with a limited air supply and the **one** person who could get them out in a couple seconds is **out cold**!" She gestured toward Jesse's limp form. "—And," she continued, keeping Adam from saying anything in rebuttal, "at this point in time I'm not so sure I actually want to get Emma out of there!" Shalimar was taking deep breaths out of panic and anger.

"Relax Shalimar! We **will **get them out of there."

"… How?!?"

"The hard way." Adam said as he picked up one of the many pieces of debris that littered the ground. Shalimar gave him a look that said 'you've **got** to be kidding'. "How else are we going to get them out? We need to work as fast as we can. There's no telling how much time they have to live."

******

Emma's glare seemed to penetrate the room.

"**Well**? Aren't you going to say anything?!? There's no point in sitting here, losing air, in the dark doing nothing." Emma started with an air of annoyance.

"I've got nothing to say to you!!"

"Yeah? Well, that's really bad lying if you ask me! I'm sure you've got plenty you want to say to my face." Brennan's expression screwed up in anger, as he listened to Emma taunting him. By the look on his face Emma inferred that Brennan would very much like to do something to her to let steam off, and for some reason she found this very invigorating. After a couple moments of silence all went to hell.

"You had **no** right!" Brennan just yelled, turning his head and looking down so he was facing her.

"No right doing **what**?!?" Emma retaliated as she stood up in order to size him up better.

"You know perfectly well what!" 

The tension in the enclosed space grew to such a level that either could swear they could feel the others heart rate increase alarmingly. The air seemed to become humid with their enraged breaths. Both just stopped talking, aware of the increasing of each other's vitals without even needing a machine or Adam to do so. It was then that Brennan decided to change the subject.

"We better…" Brennan took a deep breathe so he could attempt to become relaxed. "Not do this. Otherwise we could lose air a lot sooner, and then we'd be done for." Brennan took Emma's silence as an agreement. After that everything became much quieter. Emma scrunched down on so she was a bit more relaxed. No longer could they hear each other's rattling breaths.

Seconds seemed to take forever to tick by; it was as if time was going slower but the rate of oxygen loss stayed the same. Neither was sure how much time had passed before someone spoke. Though it wasn't a yell like their previous conversation.

"Why did you do it?" Brennan asked in almost a mumble that was very monotonous. Emma, who had been looking at the ground, looked up into Brennan's face. It seemed he had finally mustered a certain unnerving calmness, at least on the outside anyway. She was still in her same position, squatting down, her eyes hadn't moved their gaze from Brennan, as she pondered her answer. Then before actually speaking she diverted her gaze.

"I've got my reasons—you wouldn't understand." Instead of unleashing any rage at Emma's remark, which got him no real answers from her, Brennan still remained in his dreary state.

"Wouldn't I?" Brennan merely said as he walked over to a chunk of wreckage, parallel to Emma, sat down and folded his hands. Watching her, waiting for her reaction. Emma herself was a bit stunned on how well he was taking this frustration, as opposed to his earlier reactions.

"Look, you're not a psion—"

"What does it matter? I'm still a mutant, last time I checked." Emma was beginning to feel uncomfortable at Brennan's ploy. If she were to talk to anyway about this there was no question that she would want Jesse. He was the type of person to understand easily and accept the person for their choices, even though he'd make his opinion known. Now Brennan, he wasn't so good to talk to about anything especially since he couldn't control his emotions at all. Taking one deep breath Emma decided to go into an explanation.

"You have no idea what it's like to live with everybody's emotions inside your head, and then find that not only you can't control the wall you use to block them but it causes you unbelievable pain. It's completely and totally unbearable, I couldn't think straight let alone feel straight. Adam insisted that I would and could deal with it, and… in the beginning I believed him—"

"But—" Brennan added for her.

"But, I couldn't in the end. Everything I had ever been taught to focus didn't matter anymore because it didn't work. I knew by feeling him that Adam would **never** try to find the answer in genetics, which I knew was my last hope. So… I went to the next source—"

"Eckhart—"

"Yes, Eckhart. AND I **don't** regret it." She impressed upon don't greatly. A bit of tension began to resurface in the room."

"Well you should." Brennan mumbled more under his breath than out loud, but Emma heard it nonetheless.

"OH **yeah**?!? Why? Because it doesn't benefit any of **you**?!? Because for once I'm doing something to help myself!?! Well **I'm sorry** that it makes you 'upset' that what I'm doing will help me keep my sanity—"

"Your **sanity**?!? **You** think working with Eckhart is keeping your SANITY?!?! **Please** be kidding because teaming with him is the least sensible thing you have **ever **DONE!! And believe me you've had your moments in that domain." Seething with anger once again Brennan stood with his fists balled up. Seeing this Emma fought back with words.

"Oh?!? So now you're going to hit me? Well go on ahead!** I dare you!** Come on Brennan! You want to take a swing at me so take one!" Emma, standing once again, glared at Brennan with a smug smile on her face. "You see? You won't hit me." Unfortunately for Brennan she was totally right… he wouldn't hit her. In frustration he sat back down again. Emma was still glaring at him but her smile had left a frown and he wouldn't have even noticed because he was staring at the ground.

***Meanwhile*** 

Outside, rubble was being moved from side to side in attempts to uncover Brennan or even Emma but so far they had failed. Shalimar had started out at a fast pace but since then had slowed, partially because lugging so much debris was so tiresome but also because it was so cold outside. They could all see their breath in front of them as miniature clouds of frost. Their molecular teammate still lay there out cold in the cold. Ironic.

"**Adam**. Isn't there a faster way to do this? They're dying in there and for all we know could be dead."

"Well, they're not dead because we're still getting signals from their com-links—"

"—Emma is still wearing hers?" Adam just ignored this since it was more of a speculation.

"And, to answer your question. Yes, there is a faster way—"

"How?" Shalimar almost jumped for joy at this.

"Work faster." Shalimar paused as if waiting for Adam's answer before realizing that was his answer. A bit aggravated at Adam for his smart-alecky comment she went on working in silence.

******

Brennan was having a staring contest with the floor until he sensed Emma's gaze upon him. Slowly he moved his eyes upward as he tilted his head up just as slow. First they rested on Emma's feet, then her waist, then her chest, neck, head. His eyes only met hers for a second before he spoke.

"What are you looking at?" Brennan tried with a sense of irritation in his voice. Emma took in a deep airy sigh.

"An asshole." She said with ease, it was the same tone a person would usually use to say 'nothin'. This made Brennan's blood boil, and he stood up again.

"You're **really** on my last nerve!!"

"Really?" She stifled a yawn, "I thought we were on your last nerve a long time ago."

"I'm fed up with trying to hold my temper with you!"

"Then come **on**! Give me what you've got! Give me all you've got!!" Emma kept on trying to provoke him. "Then maybe there'd at least be something interesting around here." The two were leaning in close to each other, their noses were about six inches apart and both were staring daggers at the other.

"You keep trying to provoke me." Brennan began under his breath. "I think you're the one who wants to fight."

"**You** wouldn't hit a girl." She said this with some confidence.

"Wouldn't I?" he whispered. 

Then without even resorting to her power Emma reached out and slapped him across the face before he could do anything. Brennan held his face for a second before he actually moved to punch her. It was more out of reflex than the actual situation. Emma kicked him in the stomach just as Brennan punched her in the collarbone. Emma landed off balance and tumbled backwards and landed with her legs sprawled. Brennan stumbled backwards and hit his head on a lower part of the ceiling. He then slowly slid down the wall until he was sitting, knees to his chest, against the wall. It then became obvious the reason they had stopped. Both had barely been moving but their breathing had become very labored and even after a rest neither was able to control their breathing. It was obvious that the oxygen supply was running low and fast. Of course there was absolutely nothing either could do about it. If they tried to dig out they might cause their little shelter to collapse on them. This event didn't actually come up in their conversation though.

"Why do you care?" Emma asked, out of the blue, exasperated. Brennan just stared at her for barely a second before his reaction.

"Care about what?" Even though he knew what she was talking about.

"About the situation, my powers, me, **everything**?!?" Although she did over exaggerate on the last thing she listed.

"Because I—it just—because—" He didn't seem capable of answering still such a vague question.

"Why do **you** care about what happens to **me**? I've left, so why don't you just go and care about what happens to Shalimar or Jesse?!?"

"It's **you** Emma, so—so I care more!" Even though he practically shouted this it didn't get him the casual response he meant it to.

Emma's face screwed up in anger since they had slowly been raising their voices, but breathing hard just the same. She was about to yell when her brain finally processed what Brennan had said. Without even trying to use her telempathy she figured something out.

"Oh…my God." It was back to very calm. She simply stared at Brennan, not yet able to believe that her conclusion was true. Brennan didn't show any change in emotion; all he did was stare into Emma's eyes as she stared back into his. Shivers crawled up and down each of their spines. From that moment the deep breaths each took were a bit rattled.

Once again time seemed to crawl by slow as ever. Neither one of them looked away from the other's eyes. Emma could feel her own heart beat pounding against her chest, as if it would soon burst. Brennan could hear his own heart beat in his ears.

Still no really knowing what to say, Emma decided to break the silence.

"Do—do you really mean that?" she asked shakily, diverting her eyes from Brennan's. The meaning of Brennan's last words still remained unspoken._ "He really means that! Look at the expression on his face. It's obvious guilt—But Brennan? This… this doesn't make any sense. He couldn't l—he couldn't lo—"_ Emma found it impossible to even think it, let alone say it aloud. That would mean admitting it was true. "Brennan, you don't l—lo—" she stuttered. How could she actually pose this question? Still, she had to ask.

"—How do you want me to answer that?" Brennan spoke before she could. "I can't say I don't…" Tension was rising to breaking point within this cave. Both had the desire and the need to break the stress, especially Brennan. Although he wasn't nervous, for some reason he could sense the tension so vividly.

"How—why—**when**?!?" She stuttered through several questions before coming to the one she definitely wanted answered. Brennan stood up again and turned his back to Emma. He leaned his right forearm against the wall, resting it above his head. Then he bowed his head to look at the floor.

"I guess I'm not sure…" his answer was not at all what she wanted to hear. Emma had never seen him in such a submissive state.

"Not sure?!? How can you NOT be sure?!?" The anxiety within her was building. _"If he's not sure…then—then. Then this could've been present ever since we—we—ever since we met." _For a second Emma thought of their first two meetings in that bar, the first where she asked for his help and the second where Brennan showed off for her with a little spark. She took another deep, shaking, breath and then coughed, for the oxygen was still rapidly diminishing.

There was probably less than fifteen minutes of air left, but neither of their thoughts resided on that topic. Emma noticed that on the outside, Brennan's emotional weakness was increasing. The huge pauses, such as this one, in their conversation were almost implied meaning. Even though no one spoke it was as if the discussion still carried on.

"So, all of those times…" Emma spoke softly as something dawned on her. This sudden revelation seemed to make her blood boil and anger rise. She rolled her eyes as she began to speak again, this time with a tone full of resentment and hurt. "So—so when I had my thing with Tyler?!?!" This was the first time she had mentioned Tyler since his death. "That was… JEALOUSY?!? That was how you dealt with it?!?" She shook her head in disbelief, then lowered her voice to a normal volume; however her tone still reflected annoyed astonishment. Her brow furrowed, "At LEAST Je—some people who have these feelings have the decency to consider my own feelings in that 'happy' little equation." She had almost said Jesse's name in her anger. She could still remember all he did to help her get through mental and emotional conflicts at that time.

Brennan turned around slowly. Facing Emma, he could see the anger and hurt chiseled into her soft round face. He didn't know what he could say, if anything, to make things better.

_"I liked her first reaction better"_ A little voice told him inside his head. Now that way of thinking was more Brennan's style but everything else that was happening was from another world compared to what he usually was. He looked into Emma's eyes but only for a second because he could stand seeing the feeling in her. It was weird, he could swear he could feel the emotions radiating from her but dismissed it without question.

"How could you do this?" Was all Emma mustered without screaming or yelling.

"I didn't mean—it was an accident Em I accidentally let it slip—"

"**Let it** SLIP?!?" She lost control of her anger, "Whether it was an accident or not you had no RIGHT!!" Emma's teeth were gritted in anger as she screamed at Brennan.

Suddenly Emma's forehead began to glow brightly, but it wasn't any psionic orb. Her forehead glowed with a bright electric blue light with hints of ribbons of ultraviolet colored light. Then she let loose a blast of, not psionic but electric. A huge lightning bolt issued from her head and hit Brennan head on. Electricity danced over his skin as it surged through his body. Emma kept the blast up until it faded away on it's own. Only then did a stunned look cover her face. 'She had just projected electricity from her body, ON HER OWN!' Her breathing increased at an alarming rate, as she slid down against the wall opposite where Brennan's now limp form lay. She didn't dare go over to check his pulse, out of fear.

TBC…

Duh DUH DUNH!!! Oh my God!! They didn't die last time but will Brennan survive and what happened? Brennan loves Emma?!?! How did Emma project electricity?!? You'll just have to review to find out next time on Mutant X.

I just felt like writing like that. Please let me know if you ever see mistakes or weak points in my writing. I always like to improve!


	9. A Walk In Each Other’s Shoes

I'm sorry its been so long since I updated, but now that school has begun it'll be a slow write for this story. Thank you to all of you who have reviewed, I appreciate them all. I promise to write when I can, I hate leaving people hanging. Here's my favorite chapter so far.

Disclaimer: NOT MINE, wish they were but THEY'RE NOT. However Corey and Analyn do belong to me along with a couple of others, if you use, ask first.

****

Bold indicates emphasis on a word.

__

Italics indicate thoughts, or time lapse

***** indicate time lapse or scene change

Chapter 8

A Walk In Each Other's Shoes 

Emma sat there scrunched against the wall, staring wide-eyed where Brennan lay. Slowly she got up, very shaky from the suppression of her anger. She walked to Brennan's form and bent down to take his pulse. She had barely touched him with a finger and a huge zap of electricity went from her to him and back to her. She could feel its movement. At this she ran backwards in panic and crashed into one of the walls and fell on her bottom, leaning against the wall. Suddenly everything started to shake and pieces of debris began falling from the ceiling. The force of her run-in was causing a cave-in. Quickly she got up and leapt across the space to shield Brennan's lifeless form from the weight of the objects. More and more began to fall and they were beginning to look heavier and heavier. She winced every time one of the heavier pieces hit her back. Emma shook in horror at the thought of being buried alive but her thoughts suddenly became clogged as she wheezed, there was little to none oxygen left.

_"Fine and dandy," _She thought in sarcasm, _"I'll just suffocate before I can be buried alive"_ that was the last clear thought she had. Emma could feel her heart rate slow from the lack of air. She could no longer process her thoughts. 

Now giving up hope since the room was now half buried in debris. That's when she noticed a figure come through the wall about six feet from where she was with Brennan. It took a second to focus her eyes and see that it was… 

"Jesse?"

"Emma… hang on." He hurried over and touching Emma and Brennan phased them through the wall, practically dragging them both. When outside she gasped at the overwhelming amount of fresh air that began filling her lungs. She could hear and feel the rumbling of the rest of the rubble collapsing. Emma didn't have the strength to get up; all she could do was whisper. 

"Thanks Jess—" Only he heard her say this before she began hacking a cough.

"Hold on Emma. It's going to be okay; you're going to be okay." He reassured her as he helped her up. Adam and Shalimar were bent over Brennan's motionless body; Adam was checking for a pulse.

"Is he—?" Shalimar broke off but didn't need to finish her question for Adam to know what she was asking.

Adam held Brennan's wrist with his right hand and checked his watch. "He's got a faint pulse, but he'll be all right. I would guess that by his signs that an electrical surge was the cause of this."

"You think he shocked himself by mistake?"

"I don't know, we'll only find out through a scan. He isn't going to come back to consciou—sness… real… soon." He slowed down his last part of speech because as he spoke Brennan woke up.

"Man!" He yelled holding his head. "It's getting worse!"

"What's getting worse?" Shalimar asked him as she helped him stand up. He hobbled around a bit but needed her support to keep from falling over.

"My head!" Brennan's eyes were shut tight from the pain. He opened them just a little and was staring at someone's shoes about six feet from where he was. He was surprised because when he looked up to see the person it was Jesse, not unconscious, standing there and they weren't trying to rip each other's heads off. Brennan seemed to forget the pain in his head for a while. "Hey man! You're conscious!" It was odd because he said that with a little too much enthusiasm.

"No one can keep **me** down."

"But I threw you for a loop with that blast! How could you come back from it so quickly?"

"It wasn't exactly a walk in the park, Brennan." Seeing Emma's expression he figured she wanted to know too. "All right I'll tell you but Shal, you'll need to help cause I wasn't exactly conscious for all of it." She nodded.

**Flashback** Shalimar and Adam had just quickened their pace at removing fragments of the former safe house to attempt to dig out Brennan and Emma. Jesse was behind them leaning, lifeless, against a larger piece of wreckage from the collapsed building. It had been about ten minutes before anything happened. It was the sound of a revving vehicle that caused them to stop because it sounded like it was right behind them. **** 

"Me and Adam had started to dig through all the crap when a couple black vans pulled up behind us. Before turning around I remembered that before we had left the collapsing safe house that there was no one else left to be seen. Eckhart's guys had vanished. Sure enough out of the vans came many agents armed with tasers."

****They stood in two lines, waving their weapons threateningly. Out of a car came Darnel with a very different look about her. 

"You have no chance with me feral! I **am** your weakness, and no matter how much you deny it you still fear fire." Darnel spoke in an eccentric sort of voice, as she powered up a flame on the surface of one of her hands. The fire shot off and Shalimar ducked…but not in time. It grazed her right arm. She cringed in both fear and pain at contact with that heat.

"Shalimar! We don't have **time**!" Adam shouted at her and continued to dig through the rubble. Shalimar's eyes flashed feral in Darnel's direction but she knew Adam was right. They had to get Brennan and Emma out as soon as possible, before it was too late.

"For all we know it is too late." Thought Shalimar to herself. **** 

"It was frustrating, I had to resist fighting that bitch Darnel to keep digging. Of course she wasn't just going to let us turn our backs and leave. That would be giving up from her point of view. So she just **had** to make it that more difficult for us."

****Darnel's eyes glowed like fireballs, and it almost looked as if smoke came from her mouth and ears in little puffs. She was breathing very deeply, in anger. She stretched her open palm forward and a stream of red heat waves poured out. Everything in its path was lit ablaze. Including Jesse's foot. Though it had missed Shalimar, Darnel's desired target. Even though his shoe began to burn he didn't wake up. 

"EVERYONE! Get them!" Darnel screamed and pointed at Shalimar and Adam. One by one each agent charged forward with their tasers. One agent's taser accidentally brushed against Jesse' shoulder, shocking him. He leapt to his feet, putting his foot fire out, and knocked into that agent, pushing him down. Shalimar was beginning to panic when she saw her other teammate leap to his feet.

"JESSE!" Shalimar shouted, her voice strained as she dodged another fireball. He was about to run and protect Shal from her attacker but she wouldn't let him. "Save THEM!" She pointed at the pile of debris and he didn't even need her to explain, somehow he knew. **** 

"Okay, Shal I think I can take it from here." Then Jess took over the story. "Well, I had only just gotten up, obviously, I was confused. Last time I had opened my eyes I had seen a bunch of white hallways. It was strange … cause I immediately got an adrenaline pump even though I hadn't been involved in the action. Shalimar didn't even need to explain what she meant, but it wasn't exactly easy getting through that mass of agents."

"Hold on." Brennan interrupted. "If you got us out so 'fast' then where are all the agents that you fought with."

"I'm getting to that part and it took longer than you think." Jesse told him. "Okay, so where were we…"

****Jesse delivered a couple punches to several agents as he plowed through the fight. That is until the chemical mutant, Robby, came up to him and blocked his path. 

"Hey! I thought you were unconscious!" He began powering up chemicals that resided in the air around them but Jesse massed and bulldozed him like a football player by holding his right arm straight out and knocking him in the neck, causing him to fall backwards from the force. More agents came at him but in the blink of an eye Shalimar fell from the sky in front of Jesse about to take them on. They exchanged a look and Jesse nodded. She began kicking the crap out of all the agents and he made his way to the fallen safe house.

"Hold on…" He whispered to himself. "I don't even know how deep they are. I could lose my breath before I even get there." Before he did anything flashes of lights coming from behind him distracted him. Jesse turned around to see the chemical mutant standing on top of a van with all these streams of energy around him.

"YOU CAN'T STOP ME!! I'LL THROW EVERYTHING I'VE GOT AT YOU!!!" He yelled as he discharged the energy around him. It went in every direction, hitting everything in its path. It melted the vehicles and burned agents' skin that was in its path. Shalimar leapt onto the side of a building and landed on its emergency escape stairway. Adam wrenched himself free of an agent's grip and hurried to the Helix and took off into a hover to avoid the blast. Jesse looked at the blast coming for him and then back at the pile of debris. Making up his mind he phased and dove in. 

Jesse moved carefully and quickly through the mass of stuff. After a bit there was a rumble that shook the rubble. He assumed that was the blast he had barely dodged by entering.

"Come… on. Come on, come on, come on." He thought to himself with only seconds of breath left. Just then he reached forward and almost fell into the caved area where both Brennan and Emma were laying on the ground. It was beginning to cave in and he could tell that there was very little air left.

"Jesse?"

"Emma… hang on." He reached out and grabbed her hand with his left and grabbed Brennan with the other. He rapped his arm around his waist and phased the three of them out into the open. ****

"That's all?!? You made it sound like this was going to be some **epic** story."

"What do you mean? **That's all**." Shal shot angrily at him.

"What's the big deal? And—and you still haven't answered what happened to all those agents. You said there was a whole bunch and…" He waved his arms around, pointing everywhere. "I don't see any agents. What? Did they vanish?"

"Shal? Could you take that one?" The look on Jesse's face obviously said that he had no clue.

"Of course. Anything to put down Mr. Thinks he knows it all. What **happened** was that when that chemical mutant sent off this HUGE blast (it had to be some dangerous chemicals for the effects it had) that liquefied everything it touched. Luckily I got out of its way just in time—"

"Wait. If it liquefied everything it touched…" Jesse started. "Then what caused the collapsed safe house to shake like something big hit it. When I got there the inside cave was crumbling, about to bury Emma and Brennan."

"Oh…um. That was me." Emma said sheepishly. "I kinda fell backwards into the wall which caused the cave-in." Emma regained her composure after that 'Emma' moment, remembering that she was working for Eckhart. "Okay! Enough of this I'm leav—"

"Come ON! What happened?" Brennan asked, ignoring the last thing Emma said along with the others.

"You're so impatient! Can't you just HANG on?!? I was getting there before **someone** interrupted me." Shalimar looked accusingly over at Jesse.

"Well?" Brennan prompted as she looked back at him with a bit of disgust.

"What happened to the **agents** was that when the blast **hit** them they didn't duck so they were **liquefied**. OBVIOUSLY the chemicals have deadlier effects on humans otherwise that Darnel woman would be dead as well. She escaped in the only working van out of the three that had pulled up. I'm not quite sure what happened to that dangerous chemical mutant." She paused. "**Happy**?!?"

"Very." Brennan said smugly.

"Enough of this," Adam came on the scene from the Helix. "We need to get you back to Sanctuary. And Emma—"

"Is going back where she belongs!" Emma finished Adam's sentence. She turned to leave.

"Emma I need to check up on you too."

"Why?!? It's not like I'm part of the team anymore! If I want a check-up then I'll ask one of the scientists, **okay?!?** So you can just **leave—me—ALONE!!**"

Right when she said the last word another bolt of electricity shot out of her forehead, but instead of it hitting just one of them it branched into four separate bolts and struck all of them down. None of them had time to dodge it because they were all so stunned. Emma gasped when this happened and stood there speechless. Then, realizing this was her chance she bolted in the opposite direction. Brennan recovered first and stuck out his hand to power up his electricity, but instead of blue static crawling along his hands an orb began to glow a white and lavender in his palm. Not noticing (the thick kind of guy he is) he fired it at the retreating Emma. He too was stunned when this happened as the others also noticed. The orb went straight for Emma's back with an opaque silvery tail behind it as it went quite fast. When it hit Emma she was knocked out cold.

*****Sanctuary*****

"Okay Adam. So… what do we do now?" Jesse asked as he laid Emma on the lab table back in Sanctuary.

"Well, we're going to find out what exactly caused this… event to take place."

"It doesn't take a genius to know that Emma just **shocked** us with electricity, Adam."

"That may be, Brennan. But… it does take a genius to find out why!" Adam pressed a few buttons on one of the consoles. "Commence scan." The familiar gold beam passed up and down Emma's unconscious form.

"You know Brennan." Started Shalimar. "It also doesn't take a genius to figure out that you shot off a psionic blast from your hand instead of an electric one."

"Oh, you guys noticed that too…" He whispered sheepishly.

"Kinda hard **not** to notice." Said Jesse in a louder voice to let him know they all could still hear his little whisper. He continued to stare at Emma even through his somewhat rude interruption.

"Yeah Brennan. I'm going to have to scan you too. If there's any abnormalities in your genetic make-up that are shared with Emma then that'll probably be what we're looking for."

"How will you be able to tell if there's any difference without comparing us?" Brennan asked.

"Simple. I'm just going to compare these scans to your most recent ones and find any peculiar differences. So if you don't mind, you can get in the other lab chair and I'll start your scan." As Brennan walked past Emma in the lab chair to get to the other one Adam spoke again. "Oh and could you attach the restraints on Emma's chair?" He said this distractedly as he continued working. Everyone else, on the other hand, shot their eyes in his direction full of surprise. None of them moved a muscle, unable to believe what he had just asked Brennan to do.

"Are you serious?!?" Shalimar started, getting all feral and protective. Adam looked up and saw them all staring at him.

"Look! If we don't take the precautions of restraining her then when she wakes up she could go ballistic."

"but…" She started frantically.

"It's **Emma**!!!" Jesse finished her sentence for her.

"I **know** it's Emma! You guys don't seem to remember our conversation after she blasted us all. That specific psionic power may be disabled for now but until she changes her mind she's a danger to us and our cause, powers or no powers." Only silence filled the room after Adam's statement. There was no more to say on the matter. 

Brennan unwillingly attached the restraints on Emma's chair and sat in his own. All to do now was await the results of the EDD-scan. The lack of sound was sickening, as the only thing heard has the beeps and humming of the machines. Finally the results popped up on the hologram computer monitor. Adam's face went from all serious, to emotionless, to… was that relief? Some of it had to be.

"Adam?" Shalimar broke the silence. She paused, waiting for an answer, then realizing she wasn't getting one, "Is it good?"

"What?" Adam answered, distracted. "Oh, well its not as bad as it could have been, but there could still be some problems." Adam saw in Shalimar's expression that she was still asking what it was. Jesse stood off against the wall, listening, but not involved. "It's remarkable, that's what it is. I never even believed such a thing was conceivable. What has happened here is that, unwittingly, their DNA was switched… partially. The majority of Emma's psionic DNA now resides in Brennan, while the majority of his elemental DNA is now contained within Emma."

"What are you saying… they've switched powers?!?" Jesse chimed in and Brennan twisted around from his laying position in the lab chair so he could participate in the conversation.

"Not… exactly."

"Well, then what?!?" Brennan asked, frustrated.

"I guess the best way to put it is that you've switched the effects of your powers but the cause of your abilities is still the same." All three gave him clueless looks. "Alright, for example, you, Brennan, shoot off electrical currents from your palms. Now with this effect you shoot of a psychic energy blast in the exact same way. Emma, on the other hand, always shoots her psionic blasts from her mind, but now she can shoot a stream of electricity instead. I think your powers will be used in the same way its just something different will happen when you do."

"So I just do the same thing to make those—those mental energy things come up as I do with my—as I **did **with my electricity?" Without waiting for an answer from Adam he opened his palm as if waiting for an electrical arch and a whitish orb powered up in his hand. "Not bad… not bad at all. I could get used to this."

"Hey be careful with that!" Jesse ducked as Brennan accidentally released the orb. He laughed at his own fun.

"Brennan, this is something quite serious. It's not to fool around with, **especially** at anyone else's expense. You need control because it could be even more fatal than your electricity if you hit someone. We're lucky it only knocked Emma out."

As they were discussing the situation, no one noticed Emma was stirring. As she became aware she tried to get up, only to find that she couldn't. "UGGH!!!" The entire team jumped at her exasperated noise, as she kept trying to lift her hands and neck. "What's the big **idea**?!?!" She yelled. "RESTRAINTS?!?!? What do you think I am?!? Some sort of—**monster**?!?"

"You could've fooled us, Emma." Shalimar replied calmly. Everyone else began to see more clearly why Adam had insisted on confining her.

"You know what? I don't have to take this." She concentrated and her forehead began to glow electric blue. Shal's eyes narrowed and she reached out and slapped Emma across the face, breaking her focus. Emma glared back, flabbergasted. She began struggling with her binds to get at Shalimar and before anyone could do anything the cuffs that held her crackled with electricity and opened. Emma leapt up and lunged at Shalimar but she did a backward flip onto a table, dodging her. Shal then launched an attack and kicked Emma in the chin but she didn't fall. Emma in turn powered up an electric bolt on her forehead, she was about to fire it at the feral Shalimar.

"**Both of YOU!!** Contain yourselves!' Adam yelled, and both girls stopped in place, Emma's blast yet to be discharged and Shalimar held back a punch. They just stared in his direction without moving from their place. "I know there are things we must work **out** but for the time being—**all of you**," he glanced at the guys. "Hold your tongue **and** your fist. No matter the intention we won't be using our powers on **anyone**!" Obviously it was a generic we he was using as he himself did not have powers. "Once everything is sorted out **then** Emma you can go where you please and so on and so forth." Everything said they split up, as it was getting late.

******

The sun had just risen over the horizon as morning dawned. It was as quiet in Sanctuary as it was outside in the fresh air. Everything was still and quiet… except for the movement in the dojo. A simulation was underway and Emma was in the middle of the fight. She wore a workout bra, bike shorts and finger-less gloves, all of them black. Surrounding her was a couple of particularly difficult simulations with tough moves and tasers in hand. Even though she was 'working' for them she didn't mind giving their counterparts a beating, which she was doing quite a job on. Sheen came off of her in the morning light from all the sweat, and every now and then a drop of sweat sparked as it fell off her from the mass amount of movement she was doing. Bringing down bad guy after bad guy with combinations of kickboxing and gymnastics. Normally she wasn't ever this active but recent training inspired her to do so. That wasn't all, though. Every now and then she delivered extraordinary blows with an electric charge. Nearing the end of her session she turned the difficulty up a notch and only used her powers to take them out. She would get surrounded by eight or so agents to attack her, and she would give them a lightning bolt from her head, knocking them all back and bringing on the next wave. She continued on with this for several minutes until, suddenly, all the agents stopped moving and then disappeared in a jumble of data.

"Huh?!?" She got in a more relaxed stance since no one was attacking her now. Looking up towards the computer controls she saw Brennan standing there, leaning on the console. For once she didn't get upset over such a little thing (him cutting her simulation short), which Brennan found as a good sign. She simply stared at him, clueless.

"I was thinking… maybe we could talk." Brennan's voice didn't sound too foreboding so she thought, 'what's the worst that could happen?' and agreed. She trotted down the dojo steps as he went around to meet her. She took off her sweaty gloves and wiped her forehead with a towel that was hanging on the wall. "Walk with me?" she merely answered by his question by following him. They just began moseying, to nowhere in particular.

"So… Brennan?" Emma said after a long silence passed between them. She was a little calmer than most times because she had just had quite a workout. Out of the corner of his eye Brennan hadn't been able to help but look at Emma, a shine to her skin still from the sweat only made her look more beautiful. He snapped to attention once he heard her speak, but it was obvious that she didn't notice a thing. It was hard to get used to her not picking up on even some quite noticeable emotions. He saw the rest of her question was in her eyes, and somehow he could tell she was better than she had been in days.

"Well, we haven't really had a chance to talk since… you know. It just seemed a lot of things were left up in the air."

"I kinda know what you mean…" she just trailed off after speaking. Emma really wasn't ready to talk about this openly with Brennan and was surprised that **he** was being so open, it was very unlike him. Brennan sensed a slight dread radiating from Emma about this subject, although they had not yet spoken it aloud. Hoping to bypass the subject matter quickly, Emma made a comment to quickly change their focus. "You know? Your… powers are a lot harder to handle than I thought, I mean, I thought **I **had it difficult but this is even harder! I can never seem to **hold back** when I really want to, like I'm standing on one foot the entire time and with no help whatsoever and I cannot switch feet, no matter how badly I want to. At least with my telempathy it didn't reach its full potential unless I actually tried to, but with **this,** full power is pouring outta me every second and I don't know how to hold back."

"Hey… you'll get it soon enough. Emma, you're the strong one. You think these powers are a walk in the park either? I had **no** idea…" he trailed off. Both of them finally looked into each other's eyes. This was the first real connection he two of them ever made. They actually understood the hardships the other one went through with their powers.

"Did you mean what you said?" Emma asked, not diverting her gaze.

"Of course Emma, you don't give **yourself **enough credit. Your powers are—"

"I wasn't talking about that." Her face was searching his. Brennan finally realized that she was talking about what he had said to her back when they were trapped. They hadn't really talked for several days, since that incident.

"...yeah… I meant what I said. I would **never** say something like that unless I was serious—"

"All those times… was that what your feelings were? Like when I was with Tyler, that precog? Or… or when I was possessed by that firefighter who died in my arms?"

"When we first met…" he added in. "Emma, I was drawn to you for **some** reason. Hey… if it wasn't for you I may have never joined the Mutant X team. You have to admit there've been moments—"

"Yeah Brennan, I'll admit there were moments, but those were meaningless. I never, in my wildest dreams, imagined this was how you felt! Those moments were just that, moments, and nothing more." Emma began to quicken her pace to escape Brennan, but he chased after her.

"What is it with you?!? Some times you seem like you **merry** old self and others you're a stranger. It's not like I don't understand you any more, Emma! I know exactly what it's like now!" he lowered his voice to a calmer level, "The pain in your head, every waking minute. You don't even know when the emotions you're feeling are your own. Yeah you have all this power and influence, but it isn't really worth the struggle you're forced to deal with." Emma stopped as he said this, bowing her head, and then turning around to face him. "You're not alone any more." 

Emma could hear her heart pounding in her ears, and then she strode forward. Wrapping her arms around Brennan's neck she kissed him. Surprised at first Brennan then returned it. Neither of them noticed Jesse in the background, watching from afar.

TBC…

I'm sorry but from now on it'll take much longer for me to get chapters up especially now that school has started. Please keep reviewing cause your wonderful reviews are the very reason why I decided to finish this chapter quickly and post it.

Now, I'd like to know which you'd rather have. Short chapters I can post a bit faster or long chapters with more information that take longer to write.


	10. Three's A Crowd

Thanks for your reviews. I was in a good mood so I decided to write a short chapter. Just so you know what'll happen next. Keep the support coming!

Chapter 9

****

Three's A Crowd

The two stayed wrapped in each other's embrace, their lips locked. Emma could feel a flash of heat in her cheeks and her breathing was labored. Her heart was racing to keep up with her emotions. Through all of this her mind began to wander, doing its own thing. Suddenly she found herself thinking the strangest things but she didn't realize it until a couple moments later.

__

"God, I wish this was Jesse." Taking a while to process what she just thought she pulled herself away from Brennan, and pushing him at the same time. It was hard to breathe after her huge gasp of air from realizing her own emotions. Her hand was clutching her chest as if it were physical pain that plagued her.

"Emma?" Brennan's brow furrowed with concern. Emma glanced up only once and could have sworn she had seen someone standing in the background.

"Jesse?" she whispered to herself so that Brennan couldn't hear. Then she decided that she was sure of herself and began running in the direction Jesse had gone. Brennan made a couple strides towards Emma but it was no use, she was already gone. 

"JESSE?!?" She yelled aloud, making Brennan feel like a fool. He had opened his heart and she shut it closed. _"What was I thinking?!? How could I have done this to him?"_ She thought to herself. Tears began welling up in her eyes and as if by instinct she found where he had gone. She exited Sanctuary through one of its many doors and found herself on the mountaintop. There, about twenty feet away stood Jesse, staring out over the water that was far below them. Not speaking a word she came up behind him and was only a bout two feet away when a word was spoken.

"I come up here to think… sometimes." Jesse's hands were in his pockets and he turned his head so he could see her face. The look on his own face was solemn, melancholy, and Emma hated to be the reason that he should look like that.

"Jesse I--"

"What're you doin' Emma?" His tone became more forceful with a hint of anger. It was hard to tell for her, now that she couldn't automatically know how a person was feeling. "Are you only staying at Sanctuary for some sick sort of game? That why you haven't gone back to Eckhart yet?!" At the mention of this topic Emma was easily able to forgive herself.

"You think you know it all… don't you Jess?!? Yeah, you're all knowing, nothing gets by you!! You don't even know the HALF of it!!"

"I know enough!" Jesse answered heatedly as he turned his attention back to the scenery. Both of their hearts were beating wildly and angry looks were worn on each of their faces. "How could you do this?" Jesse asked in disbelief. Emma wasn't sure how to answer that question and allowed her breathing to slow down.

"Because I was tired of being in pain, Jesse." She answered calmly and almost pleading with him by the tone of her voice. "Nothing specific, just pain in general. Whether it was caused by my powers, my heart or my head. I couldn't stand it any longer so no matter what--the cost, I was willing to pay the price."

"Oh that's rich, Emma. The way you say it, it sounds like you're suicidal." Emma fumed at his remark, preparing a comeback but then she realized he was right. "We **all** have pain Emma, you KNOW that's the way of life. There is no way to escape pain even if it's our deepest desire. You think you're so hard to understand? Well, maybe you just haven't been searching hard enough." Emma was unable to even look at Jesse she felt so guilty, so she just stared out where he was looking. Emma waited for more insight from Jesse but he remained silent.

"It's **too hard!!!**" She let out and began sobbing as tears streamed down her cheeks. Jesse turned around to look her in the eyes. He lifted a hand to her face and brushed a tear of her cheek, she couldn't help but show remnants of a smile. As tears continued coming she let her gaze fall into his eyes. _"I could get lost in there."_ Emma thought dreamily to herself. "I'm tired of waiting, Jesse. The easy route is all I've got."

"Well maybe down the more difficult path is something worth working for, searching for." Both of them continued staring into the other's eyes. Not letting anymore awkward moments pass she decided to tell him.

"I'm sorry Jesse." A new stream of tears began coming as she whispered to him. "I--I don't know what came over me." Jesse wore a confused look or at least an attempt at a confused look. "I know you saw, it was almost like I could feel your presence even though I don't have my powers I still knew you were there." Jesse actually smiled, it was small, but it was still a start. "You know? When I was kissing Brennan… you know what I was thinking of?" Emma and Jesse were now only a couple inches apart. Emma could feel Jesse wasn't sure about her answer.

"him?" Jesse took a wild guess.

"No. I was kissing him and yet--yet I was thinking about you. All I could think about was how I wished I were kissing you instead of him and I finally realized my mistake."

"Well," Jesse forced himself to swallow. "I'll make sure you don't make the same mistake twice." Jesse wrapped his arm around her and pushed her closer and into a kiss. This one was tender and sweet, unlike what she had shared with Brennan. Everything in her stomach turned to butterflies the moment their lips touched. The kiss was long lasting and became deeper and more passionate, only enhanced by the stunning surroundings.

Back inside Sanctuary Brennan leaned against the wall of the dojo. With his telempathic powers he could sense what was going on and felt betrayed. She had chosen him first but then was cast aside like an old shoe.

TBC…

Okay… so any of you who thought this was going to be a Brennan/Emma story at the end of last chapter raise your hand. Well, you'd be WRONG! Course I couldn't tell you that till now cause otherwise all of the drama would be meaningless. All of you Jesse/Emma shippers I hope this pleased you cause it sure pleased me. Jesse and Emma forever!! 


	11. Unconscious Consequence

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Wow I haven't written in a year and a half, I hope people will still read this. I reread my own story and I was like "I wrote this?" even though I caught several grammatical mistakes. I feel the need to finish what I started even after Mutant X went down the drain. Keep your fingers crossed. REVIEW, if anyone will still read this.

I changed my pen name to a more universal title (from Feral Shock to xAgentx)

Chapter 10

****

Unconscious Consequence

Eckhart checked his watch for the tenth time as he waited impatiently with his scientists in the lab.

"She's late." Was all he said. It was the manner in which he spoke that sent chills down his employees' spines. "Ms. Darnel, do you recall what happened the last time she was late?" Her reply was an empty stare, for she really didn't care what happened to Emma (her competition).

Sanctuary

Emma and Jesse reentered the mountain in much better moods than they had left it with. Jesse's warm smile put a damper on Emma's worries. A few more steps and Brennan came into view and although he made no movement they both could somehow tell he was fuming. The good feeling inside of her vanished and was replaced with unrelenting guilt for the emotional pain she was causing Brennan. She had been so worried about her own happiness that she was willing to trample others' to get it. Suddenly things that Corey had told her were making sense. He had mentioned something about feeling what she had done wasn't wrong because both sides of her conscience were in agreement to get what she wanted.

"Brennan--" she began but found no words to say.

She and Jesse exchanged a look and she could see some of her guilt reflected in Brennan's eyes. Before either of them knew what happened Brennan suddenly collapsed on the spot.

"Brennan!" Emma then shouted in fear, as she and Jesse rushed to his side.

"Adam! Something's wrong with Brennan!" Jesse called as they both helped him into the lab chair.

Through vigorous scans and tests Adam could not determine the cause or the cure of what was happening.

"His brain activity is abnormal. It's like there's some sort of random fluctuation in his-- Emma's abilities." Adam reported, reviewing every possible detail.

Emma kept her distance, as she thought this through. _"Something is not right. If Brennan has my powers and I had been losing control then there was the_-- Why hadn't she considered this before? Of course, but what to do? During this time Adam had been explaining or rather wondering out loud what to do.

"Now, I'll need the three of you to come with me." He said, leaving and Shal and Jesse began to follow.

"What about Brenn?"

"That's what this is for if we have a chance of saving him."

__

"Great, and I wasn't listening. Brennan you have to be alright because I could never forgive myself if something happened to you. I would never feel right with Jesse if you died, especially because of this."

"Mr. Eckhart?" A small middle aged man quickly approached.

"**What** is it?" He replied with disdain.

"We have an unexpected visitor."

Intrigued, Eckhart followed the short man to the entrance of Genomex. There a very weak figure was standing, but barely. It looked like he could crumple at any moment. The way he composed himself he had the appearance of pure agony. At Eckhart's approach the man did his best to straighten his posture, revealing his face.

"Why Mr. Mulwray, what an unexpected surprise."

TBC…

Very short, I hope someone will still read this even if I haven't updated since 2003. As always a cliff and a plead for any reviews.


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